Two men were arrested in Charlotte County after they were caught walking around a vacant home, and attempting to break into a garage.
According to Charlotte County deputies, Stephen Torchia, 43, and Eric Caterino, 29, were witnessed walking around an abandoned home by a concerned citizen, who alerted the sheriff’s office.
The first deputy arrived on scene and saw Torchia standing in the area of North Shore and Melbourne. Nearby in a bush he heard a noise and ordered the man to step out of the bush.
Eric Caterino stepped out, saw the deputy and then fled on foot.
Additional deputies, who were on scene with a K-9 tracked down Caterino behind several residences on North Shore Drive. They eventually caught up to him and arrested him without incident.
Neither suspect had a reason to provide to deputies for why they were in the house.
Given the provided information from the witness who alerted deputies, and their inability to give a reason for being at the residence, both men were arrested for loitering and prowling. Caterino was additionally charged with Resisting an Officer without Violence.