Another day, another extraordinary Pasco man story.

Just after 68-year-old Dennis Libonati was released from the Land O’ Lakes jail Monday night, deputies say he was captured on surveillance video attempting to steal 26 different vehicles in the jail’s parking lot.

Deputies say the surveillance video showed Libonati going from vehicle to vehicle in a restricted area, pulling on door handles, all of which were locked.

The video also showed that Libonati attempted to steal two sheriff’s office vehicles, according to his arrest affidavit, with him successfully entering the bed of a Dodge Ram pickup and hot-wiring a Kawasaki Mule ATV used by deputies.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said Libonati was arrested just after 10:30 p.m. and charged with 27 auto burglary counts and one count of grand larceny. He had been locked up since mid March on a trespassing charge, which he incurred 11 days after being charged with battery and released.

Upon detaining him, Libonati admitted to deputies he attempted to enter the vehicles “with the intent to steal one to use for transportation,” the affidavit says.

The arrest’s circumstances may sound familiar because a Florida man was arrested in November for doing the same thing — also in Pasco County.

Libonati, an up-state New York native, was immediately brought back into the same jail he was just released from without incident. He remained there as of Thursday morning.



