When Deputy Winter Springs Mayor Rick Brown noticed his campaign signs disappearing, he asked business owners and managers to keep a closer eye on them. 

Monday morning, when investigators say a manager at a Winter Springs Mobil gas station noticed a man removing one of the deputy mayor’s signs, police say that manager confronted the man, took the keys to his van he had stuck the sign in, and called police. 

Investigators with the Winter Springs Police Department say they are now looking into whether the man, Charles Kicki, is behind other recent political sign thefts.

Several other signs were stolen, all sawed off in the middle of the wooden boards that hold them up.

Police say they recovered several stolen signs in a dumpster at the Seminole County School Board Consolidated Services building, a bus maintenance facility where Kicki works.

A spokesperson for the Seminole County School District says Charles Kicki has no prior discipline record with the school system, and was not on the job when he’s accused of stealing the sign at the Mobil gas station.

News 13 reached Charles Kicki by phone Thursday. While he did not want to comment, he offered several explanations to police as to why he says he removed campaign signs.

“On his off time he cleans up yards by mowing stuff, but the properties where the signs have gone missing, were not his contracts and he had no business being on,” said Winter Springs Police Chief Kevin Brunelle.

Kicki also claims he’s been getting rid of only old campaign signs, but Rick Brown’s re-election campaign goes until November. Brown says he doesn’t know Kicki, or why he would do this.

“It’s just sad that it comes to this. I’m just floored that somebody would do this. These signs are very expensive,” said Winter Springs Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Rick Brown.

Police are looking into whether Kicki could be responsible for other candidates’ stolen signs, since they were cut down in the same way. Since the damage to Brown’s signs cost him several hundred dollars, Kicki could be facing felony grand theft charges.

“When you deface these signs, when you tear them down, when you steal them, you are violating Florida law,” said Chief Brunelle.

Winter Springs Police say they will be handing over the findings of their investigation to the State Attorney’s Office. It will be up to the SAO whether or not charges will be filed in the case.