SEBASTIAN — A 37-year-old Sebastian man with an extensive criminal history was arrested Monday after a standoff at his home, where he barricaded himself following the discovery of a pickup truck stolen from Osceola County, authorities said.
Keith Rogers, of the 400 block of Melrose Lane, surrendered after Indian River County Sheriff’s deputies deployed tear gas and breached his front door, said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a sheriff’s office spokesperson. Rogers faces charges including grand theft auto and resisting arrest without violence. He was booked into the Indian River County Jail and is being held on $20,000 bond.
The incident began around 10:30 a.m. Monday, when automated license plate readers captured the stolen Ford F-350 traveling on County Road 512. The truck, reported missing Oct. 19 from Osceola County, was loaded with fresh lumber visible in the photos, Jaworski said.
Deputies reviewed surveillance footage from the Sebastian Home Depot, showing Rogers and the vehicle on camera making a recent lumber purchase. When authorities arrived at his residence, Rogers was unloading the materials from the truck. He retreated inside and refused to come out or communicate, prompting a lockdown of the street and notifications to nearby residents.
“He previously made statements he would get in a shootout with law enforcement before he would go back to jail,” Jaworski said in a released statement, noting Rogers’ prior encounters with Osceola County officials.
The sheriff’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in. After hours of unsuccessful attempts using loudspeakers, deputies fired chemical munitions into the home to force him out. They then used a controlled explosive to open the door and sent in a drone for reconnaissance.
Finding no sign of Rogers on the main floor, SWAT members entered and searched the house. He was hiding in the attic and fell through the ceiling directly onto the officers, who took him into custody without further incident, Jaworski said.
No injuries were reported, and the standoff ended at approximately 5 p.m. Monday evening.
