Village of Palo Alto neighbors were thrilled early Wednesday morning when the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office swooped down on a problematic property and arrested five people on a host of drug charges.
The home at 1902 Antonia Place has been the scourge of the neighborhood for quite a while.
“The investigation and search warrant stemmed from numerous complaints for this residence for suspicious activity related to narcotic sales, suspicious incidents and persons involved in the theft of golf carts, as well as, for being a general nuisance to the neighborhood,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The search of the residence revealed numerous parts related to golf carts consisting of windshields, seat cushions, wheels and tires along with other various parts that were discovered in the attic and garage area.
At this time the sheriff’s office has been unable to connect any recent golf cart thefts to the group working from this home.
At the time of the execution of the search warrant, only one item has been reported as a stolen item from Georgia. Detectives recovered less than 1 gram of methamphetamine and less than 20 grams of marijuana. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests in the future may be possible.
Those arrested include:
• Charlotte L. Gajewsky, 45, is facing charges including possession and sale of methamphetamine. In 2015, she was arrested for pawning a hospitalized friend’s jewelry.
• Kenneth Ray Padgett, 53, has been charged with possession of weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon as well as multiple drug charges. He was arrested on drug charges in 2014 at Wal-Mart at Buffalo Ridge.
• Michael Edward Witkowski, 63, is facing charges of possession of marijuana and a new legend drug. Last year, he was found squatting in a home in The Villages.
• Kathleen Unrath, 43, is facing charges of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She has been repeatedly arrested for driving without a license.
• William Romska, 38, is facing charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a new legend drug.
If anyone has information about this case, contact the Criminal Investigations Division 352-793-2621 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477)
