Man Arrested at Magic Kingdom After Crime Spree Involving Teenager

A guest has been arrested at the Magic Kingdom.

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The Walt Disney World Resort is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” but this doesn’t mean it’s immune to criminal behavior. The Orlando, Florida, resort has seen its fair share of crime, from car theft to sexually explicit behavior from guests, with one man now being accused of stealing multiple items during his recent visit to the Walt Disney World Resort.

According to new court records, Jonathan Javier Guevara Llerena, a New Jersey native, reportedly stole cash and a phone during his time at Magic Kingdom late last year. The 33-year-old was visiting the theme park on Christmas Eve when a teenager realized their cell phone was missing. The teenager called his phone number from a different source in an attempt to locate his phone. The device rang from Llerena’s pocket. Llerena apologized and gave the phone back to the teenager, claiming he did not know it was his.

The Christmas and New Year’s season is one of the busiest times at the Walt Disney World Resort, with thousands of guests seeking to spend the holidays inside Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Crowds can be quite hectic during this time, especially in popular areas like Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom or Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The higher amount of guests most likely allowed Llernea to move unnoticed, at least until he was confronted by a pair of women.

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The situation had all but ended when a woman and her sister noticed what was happening and realized that Llerena had also stolen from them. The sisters confronted Llerena after discovering a Michael Kors wallet belonging to them that contained $1,700 was missing. The wallet was found, but the $1,700 in cash was gone. Llerena claimed he did not know how the wallet ended up in his possession. Eventually, Walt Disney World security got involved and arrived on the scene. Security escorted the family, along with Llerena, to the security office located somewhere backstage.

Reportedly, once inside the security office, Llerena’s girlfriend called him and spoke to the woman whose wallet had been stolen. The girlfriend reportedly attempted to bribe the woman, offering her $500 if she didn’t pursue criminal charges against Llerena. This attempt was futile, with the woman from Davenport seeking a full prosecution of Llernea.

Security was not able to track down the teenager who had their phone stolen by Llerena, and the arrest report also noted that $300 of the stolen money had not been recovered. Llerena pleaded not guilty in a January court hearing.

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