On March 12, 2026, Cape Coral Police Officers responded to McDonald’s, located at 2541 Del Prado Blvd N., after receiving a call reporting a past-occurred robbery. The caller, identified as Juan David Robelto (DOB: 04/06/1997), claimed he had been attacked and robbed the previous evening while driving home from work.
Robelto told officers that an unknown man assaulted him and stole his vehicle, a 2012 Ford F-150, after blocking the roadway near Averill Blvd. However, inconsistencies quickly emerged between his account and physical evidence uncovered by investigators.
Officers discovered that Robelto’s vehicle matched one involved in a hit-and-run crash in the same area earlier that morning on East Gator Circle. The vehicle showed collision damage, fresh white paint, and a locked seatbelt consistent with a recent crash. Robelto also had injuries typical of a motor vehicle accident, not an assault, and white paint on his clothing matching the residue found inside the truck.
Adding to the discrepancies, Robelto waited approximately 14 hours before reporting the alleged robbery, citing issues with his phone despite evidence showing his phone was left inside the crashed vehicle.
After being sworn in and giving a written statement, Robelto was confronted with the conflicting evidence and admitted the story was untrue. He was then placed under arrest.
Robelto was arrested and charged with the following:
False Report of a Crime (F.S.S. 837.05)Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Property Damage (F.S.S. 316.061)