A homeless man was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida, for allegedly setting up a home for himself inside of the luxury suite of the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer stadium, where he resided for over two weeks and helped himself to $1,000 in Rowdies gear and $200 worth of food.
39-year-old Daniel Albert Neja was arrested last week after an employee of the 7,227 seat AI Lang Stadium discovered blankets in the luxury suite. Police concluded that Neja had been residing there since July 26th.
“He got into the merchandise store and was wearing a bunch of team merchandise. He made himself quite at home there.” St. Petersburg Police Spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez told CNN. “While the officers were there, one of the employees spotted him and went into the stadium, and officers caught up with him right outside the stadium, and he was wearing the same clothing and everything.”
Neja was charged with third-degree felony burglary and a first-degree misdemeanor of resisting an officer without violence. His bond is currently set at $5,150.
Unfortunately, this case highlights the growing homeless crisis plaguing not only this city but many others across the nation, with the coronavirus pandemic only amplifying the situation.
