Traffic Stop In NN Industrial Park Nets Arrests

An Arcadia man is facing felony charges after deputies say he was illegally carrying diesel fuel in his utility truck following a traffic stop in a North Naples industrial park late Wednesday.

Christopher Wayne Rottger, 24, was charged with unlawful conveyance of fuel, a felony, and possession of burglary tools and loitering and prowling, both misdemeanors.

Two other people who were with Rottger, including a 16-year-old boy, were also arrested. They were charged with loitering and prowling and possession of burglary tools.

Arrest reports say Rottger was driving a white Chevrolet flatbed utility truck on J&C Boulevard around 10:15 p.m.

The truck was carrying a rectangular metal fuel transfer tank in the open cargo area, report said.
Deputies patrolling the area became suspicious when the truck stopped in the driveway of a closed business with its lights turned off for several seconds and then proceeded east on J&C boulevard.

Deputies conducted a traffic stop. Rottger, the driver, and his two passengers, Richard Landford and the 16-year-old, both of Arcadia, were all wearing black clothing, reports said. They each gave conflicting accounts of why they were in an industrial park where all of the businesses were closed, reports said.

There have been several burglaries and thefts of equipment and off-road diesel fuel in that area in recent weeks, reports said.

The tank in the bed of the truck contained approximately 50 gallons of diesel fuel, reports said. The container was not approved by the state Department of Transportation.

Inside the truck were items commonly used to commit burglaries and fuel thefts, including a saw, flashlight, a jack, tires, four concrete blocks and an external fuel pump, reports said.

The boy, who is not being named because he was charged with a misdemeanor, was released to the custody of the state Department of Juvenile Justice.


Rottger, Christopher


Landford, Richard