Last weekend, Saturday and Sunday, February 28 and March 1, 2026, turned out to be a busy weekend for local law enforcement
On March 2, 2026, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office had its hands full. Officers made a string of arrests throughout the county, but the spotlight fell on Englewood and Port Charlotte. Most incidents involved impaired driving or drugs.
After a crash, authorities in Englewood, Florida, apprehended Vitaliy K. Zhiryada, a resident of the 11300 block. He didn’t just get charged with DUI and property damage. He also left the scene, drove with a suspended license, refused a DUI test, and resisted arrest (though not violently). The list of charges kept growing, and now he’s in jail without bond.
Port Charlotte wasn’t exactly quiet, either. Police arrested Samuel Jenkins, 59, on Berwell for DUI. He’s out on a $500 bond. John James Kiratsoulis Jr., 61, faced the same charge on Meehan Ave., also with a $500 bond. Then there’s Tremaine Javon Dennis, 44, who police say had cocaine with intent to sell, another controlled substance without a prescription, and failed to register as a convicted felon. His situation looks far more serious.
The rest of the county saw its own share of trouble that day. Englewood resident Dustin Wayne Frankhouse, 40, faced charges for possessing a controlled substance, attempted theft, and resisting an officer. Punta Gorda police arrested Maria Constantine, 57, for grand theft and petty larceny. Anthony Lee Aguilar, 56, faced a DUI charge.
All this came after a busy weekend for law enforcement. It also followed the arrest of Mark A. Brown, the second suspect in a string of burglaries that targeted empty Englewood homes. Sheriff Bill Prummell says the investigations are still ongoing. The department isn’t letting up in its push against property crime and threats to public safety in Southwest Florida.
