A search for a wanted Florida fugitive ended in an unusual discovery when deputies found a suspect concealed inside an air conditioner system at a residence in Bunnell. The operation, led by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, resulted in the arrests of James Myers, 33, and Joanne Rosario, 36, after investigators tracked the pair to a home connected to a recent theft investigation.
The case began after authorities investigated the reported theft of crab legs from a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Palm Coast on June 4. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and identified a vehicle believed to be connected to the incident. Through follow-up investigative work, officers traced the vehicle to a residence where they believed Myers and Rosario could be located.
According to court records, the registered owner of the vehicle later identified Myers and Rosario as the individuals shown in surveillance images collected during the investigation. Armed with that information, deputies obtained probable cause to continue their search and moved in on the residence to locate the suspects.
As officers searched the property, they discovered Rosario allegedly hiding inside a cabinet in one of the bedrooms. Investigators then continued clearing the residence while searching for Myers, who was already wanted on multiple outstanding charges unrelated to the theft case. Deputies believed he was somewhere inside but initially could not locate him.
The search expanded as officers checked hidden spaces throughout the home. Eventually, deputies discovered Myers concealed inside the residence’s air-conditioning system. According to the sheriff’s office, he was found wedged inside the air handler behind ductwork, folded into a confined space in an apparent attempt to avoid arrest. Authorities noted that Myers had previously attempted similar evasive tactics, including an earlier incident in which a police K-9 located him hiding beneath a house.
At the time of his arrest, Myers was allegedly fleeing prosecution on charges that included grand theft, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, driving with a suspended license, speeding-related offenses, and resisting arrest stemming from an earlier case. Following the latest investigation, authorities added a petit theft charge connected to the grocery store incident. Rosario was separately charged with resisting a police officer.
Investigators say the case highlights the lengths some fugitives will go to avoid capture and the persistence required by law enforcement during suspect searches. What began as a retail theft investigation ultimately concluded with the arrest of a wanted fugitive hidden in one of the least expected locations inside the residence. The criminal cases against both suspects remain pending as they move through Florida’s court system.
