LANTANA, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Lantana man is facing felony charges after police discovered a series of creative, albeit highly illegal, methods to keep his home’s utilities running. Jacob David Mulet, 42, was arrested Thursday morning after investigators allegedly found him bypassing city water lines and electric meters at his Broadway Street residence. The arrest followed a months-long investigation into reports of utility theft that reportedly included the use of a city fire hydrant as a personal water source.
The trouble for Mulet began in late 2025 when neighbors reported a suspicious garden hose running from their private outdoor spigot to Mulet’s property. While the neighbor initially declined to press charges, Lantana Public Works employees soon discovered that the home’s main water line—which had been locked due to an inactive account—had been tampered with. Officials say someone broke the lock to establish unmetered service, causing an estimated $1,500 in damages to the city’s infrastructure.
As the investigation continued into January, police observed an even more brazen setup. Officers reportedly found a homemade plumbing adapter and a grey hose attached directly to a municipal fire hydrant on the corner of the property. The hydrant’s caps had been removed to facilitate the connection, which fed water directly into Mulet’s backyard. Records indicate that Mulet’s water bills were significantly past due, with outstanding balances totaling more than $3,700 across two apartment accounts at the address.
The investigation culminated in a tactical search warrant execution on Thursday morning involving a large perimeter of Lantana police officers. During the search, investigators say they not only found the missing fire hydrant caps and the pipe wrench used to remove them, but they also discovered a dangerous bypass on the electrical meters. According to police reports, metal pieces had been fabricated to jump the electrical prongs, allowing power to flow into the house without being recorded by Florida Power & Light.
Mulet was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail. He currently faces charges of Grand Theft and preventing or obstructing the extinguishment of a fire due to the hydrant tampering. While he allegedly admitted to using the fire hydrant after his irrigation pump failed, he denied tampering with the electrical system despite his admission that he had not been paying that bill either.
