Biggest Apopka stories of 2016: "Scumbag" AOK Tire Store Burglar arrested!

The story that gripped Apopka because of a sign and a reward

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles published by The Apopka Voice in 2016 that were the most noteworthy events of the year. The Apopka Voice will publish them starting today and running until Friday, December 30th. During the New Year’s weekend (Friday, December 30th – Sunday, January 1st) we will publish a poll and let the readers decide on which story is the most impactful of the year.

Originally Published: April 7th, 2016

This evening at 6:30 pm, the Apopka Police Department made an arrest in the AOK Tire burglaries.

APD arrested Alphonsa Randolph Mathews and charged him with Burglary to a Structure, Burglary to a Conveyance, and Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle.

This was the incident made famous by the AOK Tire Store sign pictured above.

On March 25, 2016, an APD officer on routine patrol noticed the front gate to AOK Tire Mart had been lifted off the hinges and opened. While on the scene officers discovered the business had been burglarized.

An extensive investigation and community involvement led to an arrest warrant being obtained for Mathews. He is currently being transported to the Orange County Jail with a $25,000 bond.

Mathews is known to the Apopka Police from a previous incident on August 20, 2014, where Mathews struck Apopka Police K-9 Kylow with a hammer while committing a burglary to a structure.

During that burglary, Mathews was located inside Pioneer Welding located at 1051 Ocoee Apopka Road and was arrested for burglary to a structure, use of a deadly weapon on a Law Enforcement K-9, resisting an officer with violence, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, and trespassing in a structure.

Note: Mathews served 15 months of an 18-month sentence for crimes he committed in 2014. The Police K-9 Kylow who was hit in the head with a hammer sustained lacerations that required stitches. His injuries were non-life threatening and although he physically recovered he was unable to return to duty. He was medically retired following the attack.