PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (WFLA) — On Sunday, the Pinellas Park Police Department responded to a reported home burglary in progress on Cedar Ridge Drive. Upon arrival, they found a man hiding in a 16-year-old’s closet.
At around 4:20 p.m. on September 7, police received a report that a witness saw a man entering the home by climbing through a window.
Officers on the scene quickly determined that the homeowners were not aware of the man’s presence in their home, and began searching the residence.
Eliezer Soto, 26, was discovered partially undressed, hiding in the closet of their 16-year-old daughter’s bedroom. Investigators learned Soto and the girl had been communicating through several social media apps, and he came to the home after she invited him.
Their conversations were sexual in nature, the police department said.
Soto was arrested and charged with traveling to meet a minor and unlawful sexual activity with a minor, both second-degree felonies. He is being held in the Pinellas County Jail on a $250,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are working to determine if additional charges apply.
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