KISSIMMEE – Whether the suspects were thirsty or had a more profit-oriented motive isn’t known yet, but two men got arrested this week after they were allegedly spotted loading a soda machine onto their pickup truck.
Committing such an act in front of witnesses turned out to be their biggest problem, since they got arrested not long afterwards.
Reginald Lamar Harris, 39, of 730 Jernigan Ave., Orlando, and Julius Russell Kirven II, 43, of 346 Monterey St., Poinciana, were arrested and charged as suspects in the Central Florida Power Equipment Store burglary.
Central Florida Power Equipment is at 2547 Partin Settlement Road in Kissimmee. On Saturday, April 21 around 3 p.m., Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies got a call about a burglary in progress there. Deputies responded to the business, which was closed at the time, and spoke to a witness who said he noticed two men loading a soft drink machine onto the back of a pick-up truck.
“When the suspects saw the witness, they fled the area,” noted Twis Lizasuain, public information officer for the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, in her report on the arrests.
She added that they left behind the main pieces of evidence.
“Deputies canvassed the business and found two damaged soft drink machines in the back of the store,” Lizasuain said.
Deputies searched the area, using a detailed description of the vehicle — a Ford F250 truck — that the witness said the two men had fled in. Not long afterwards, deputies spotted the truck heading westbound on U.S. 192. It turns out the driver gave them ample opportunity to make a motor vehicle violation stop.
“They continued to follow the vehicle at a distance and observed the vehicle travel at a high rate of speed — and run through a red light and a stop sign before it attempted to drive through a wall opening at the dead end of North Lavon Avenue in Kissimmee,” Lizasuain said. “The vehicle crashed into the wall, and the suspects fled on foot.”
Not for long – “They were apprehended a short distance later,” Lizasuain said.
A check on the Ford F250 truck revealed it had been reported stolen to the Orlando Police Department.
Asa result, Harris was charged with unoccupied burglary, criminal mischief and resisting arrest without violence.
Kirven was charged with grand theft auto, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, fleeing/attempting to elude law enforcement, reckless driving and resisting arrest without violence. Both suspects were booked into the Osceola County Jail.
Osceola County Sheriff’s detectives are still looking for another business burglary suspect, and are asking for the public’s help in solving this case involving two hair salons targeted on the same day.
On Sunday, April 22 around 11:15 a.m., sheriff’s deputies got a call about a burglary at Happy Nail and Spa, located at 3260 Vineland Road in Kissimmee. The manager told deputies he had gotten to work and entered the building, then noticed damage had been done to the ceiling, and money from the cash register was missing.

“It appeared as if someone had cut through the ventilation duct and broken a light fixture attempting to gain entry into the business,” Lizasuain noted.
Video surveillance from inside the salon showed someone breaking into the business in the early morning hours.
On the same day, deputies also took a report from another business in that area, Nice Nails-Hair Salon at 4807 W. U.S. 192 in Kissimmee. The salon owner told deputies when he showed up for work, there was trash on the floor and a hole had been cut in the ceiling.
Money from the cash register and some personal items had been stolen.
“Detectives believe the same suspect might have burglarized both businesses,” Lizasuain said.
Anyone with information on either robbery is being asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at 407-348-2222 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips that lead to an arrest or the recovery of stolen property are eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000.