Habitual Felon Gets 25 Years For Stealing Travel And Construction Trailers From Walnut Hill : NorthEscambia.com

A Pensacola man is headed to prison for the theft of a travel trailer and a construction company’s trailer from Walnut Hill.

Thursday, Judge John F. Simon Jr. sentenced Damien Matthew Lopez, now 43, to 25 years in state prison as a habitual felony offender for grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft from $20,000 to $100,000 and grand theft from $10,000 to $20,000.

During a June trial, the stat argued that Lopez has demonstrated an inability to live in society without violating the law. Lopez’s criminal record includes 53 previous convictions, 32 of which were felonies.

A 2018 Forest River travel trailer was reported stolen March 16. 2023, from Highway 97 just south of Ernest Ward Middle School. The same day, a 20-foot enclosed construction trailer was stolen from a business on South Highway 99 at Highway 97, about a half mile from where the travel trailer was stolen.

The construction trailer was valued at $15,000 and contained construction tools and equipment valued at $40,000.

A few days later, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators were made aware of evidence showing a white SUV pulling the travel trailer at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97. Using a tag number from the SUV, they were able to trace the vehicle to an address on Bradley Street in Pensacola.

Deputies found the enclosed trailer at the Bradley Street address. They said it was freshly painted, but the Walnut Hill business’ logo was still visible through the paint. Investigators executed a search warrant on O’Daniel Drive in Pensacola where Lopez and numerous tools belonging to the Walnut Hill company were located, according to an arrest report. Additional stolen items were recovered from an address on Highway 297A.

Lopez allegedly sold the travel trailer to another individual for $500. At last report, the travel trailer has not been recovered.