CCSO: Port Charlotte man breaks into dealer, steals car

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- A man accused of breaking into a car dealership and stealing a car from the lot is now under arrest.

James Frizzell Jr., 55, is facing multiple charges including burglary of a business and grand theft of a vehicle.

Deputies were first called to Auto Marketing and Sales on Tamiami Trail after employees found the front door of the business had been broken out and a gray Ford Explorer left in front of the business was no longer there.

When deputies and the employees checked the business’s video surveillance, they saw a man smashing the front glass door around 3 a.m. The man was caught on camera searching the business and taking items, including the keys to the Explorer. He was also seen entering a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the back area of the dealership after removing a battery charger from the car.

The business owner was able to identify the man as Frizzell, who had test driven the Monte Carlo just one day before the theft. The owner says Frizzell completed paperwork to buy the car and left a copy of his driver’s license information. But when the owner checked his office, authorities say he couldn’t find the paperwork that had been left on the desk.

Detectives were able to pinpoint the stolen Explorer’s location on Dewhurst Street thanks to a GPS installed in the car. There, deputies spotted Frizzell who sped away in the car.

Authorities followed the GPS information and discovered the Explorer was abandoned in a wooded area off Sherry Avenue.

Frizzell was eventually found and apprehended by K9 deputies hiding in the brush along Harbor Boulevard and Dollard Avenue.

Frizzell is being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.