Investigators say a 51-year-old was caught placing loose nails on Miller Road after months of complaints.
VALRICO, Fla. — Hillsborough County deputies arrested a Valrico man this week accused of scattering nails across Miller Road, a neighborhood corridor east of Tampa, after a months-long investigation that began with repeated flat tires and resident reports.
Residents and deputies say loose nails began showing up on South Miller Road and nearby intersections in mid-September, creating hazards and costly repairs for drivers. The Sheriff’s Office opened a case, reviewed home-surveillance videos and tips, and on Tuesday moved in after observing a white pickup stopping along the roadway. The arrest closed a case that locals nicknamed the “nail bandit,” and shifted the focus to assessing damage reports and potential charges as investigators sort out how many incidents and victims are tied to the pattern.
Deputies said the investigation formally started Sept. 11, when callers reported hundreds of nails scattered near South Miller Road and Lithia Center Lane. Over the next five months, at least 27 similar incidents were logged in the same area, including around Bucknell Road and Miller Road. This week, deputies said they watched a man step out of a white 2022 Toyota Tundra just after 10:30 a.m. and place nails on Miller Road. He was taken into custody without incident a short time later. “It’s great news that they finally caught the guy,” neighbor Joe Gliksman said, adding that residents grew used to walking the shoulder and sweeping magnets after the morning school rush.
The Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Felix Uresti, 51, and said he faces multiple counts, including criminal mischief. Officials said the case drew steady neighborhood attention because of the frequency and the randomness of the drops; many drivers reported punctures, sometimes more than once in a week, and several brought damaged tires to deputies as evidence. Detectives said an anonymous tip and private security video helped narrow the search to a particular truck and route pattern. The office also urged anyone who believes their vehicle was damaged in the corridor to contact investigators to document losses for a potential restitution tally.
Officials did not release a motive. They said they were still counting the total number of tires and vehicles affected and working to match each nail find to a date and time. Deputies said patrol units increased visibility along Miller Road during school arrival and dismissal while plainclothes teams reviewed video clips from doorbell cameras. Public posts by Sheriff Chad Chronister and the Sheriff’s Office amplified the request for tips, and neighbors shared photos of nails they said they had pulled from treads or collected in buckets near driveways and mailboxes. A number of reports described roofing nails and finishing nails appearing in small clusters at stop signs.
Valrico is an unincorporated community east of Brandon where Miller Road carries neighborhood traffic toward Lithia Pinecrest Road. Residents said the nails tended to show up on busier stretches and near intersections where vehicles brake or turn, increasing the chance of punctures. Some families said they replaced tires more than once since fall. Earlier in the investigation, Spectrum Bay News 9 reported locals coined the “nail bandit” label as the complaints mounted. The Sheriff’s Office said the consistency of the drops, roughly two dozen to nearly 30 times by deputies’ count, suggested a deliberate pattern rather than accidental spillage.
Deputies said the case file includes photographs, timestamps from home cameras and statements from drivers who experienced flats within minutes of passing flagged locations. Detectives will present the file to prosecutors, who will decide final charges and how to aggregate damage totals. As of Friday, authorities had not specified a court date. Officials said they expect to continue taking reports and cross-checking them against the timeline developed since Sept. 11. The agency said drivers who filed earlier reports may receive follow-up calls to verify repair costs and dates for restitution calculations.
Neighbors described relief mixed with curiosity about the motive. “You never expect someone to keep doing this for months,” Gliksman said. Others said they were thankful for the surveillance effort and the steady patrol presence in recent weeks. On Miller Road, a few residents pointed to small piles of swept-up nails at the base of stop signs and to patched divots on the asphalt where clusters had been raked aside. One homeowner said the arrest felt like the end of a strange routine that became part of morning dog walks.
Deputies said the arrest ends the active surveillance but not the paperwork. Investigators are still verifying damage claims and tracing the full scope of incidents. The Sheriff’s Office said it will announce the initial court appearance once it is set and will share any updates to the number of incidents tied to the case.
Author note: Last updated January 19, 2026.