The police accused a Florida man of swiping watches from Walmart because he was wearing the same Ron Gronkowski jersey that the suspect reportedly had on.
On September 25, a Walmart in Largo, Florida reported that a shoplifter visited their store and stole watches.
The authorities were notified, and officers from the Largo Police Department went to the store to investigate the situation.
When the police were told about the theft, they collected a description of the suspect, who was believed to have fled from the premises before they arrived. They were reportedly told that the man involved was wearing a jersey displaying the name of the tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ron Gronkowski.
The officers searched around outside the Walmart, and they reported that a man wearing the jersey described to them was found sitting in a patch of shrubbery on the premises. They believed he was the suspected watch thief.
According to the affidavit, an officer driving in a police cruiser was the one who located the man in the bushes. When they stopped their vehicle and tried to walk up to the man, it was noted that he ran away.
After reportedly hopping a nearby fence, the man was found “hiding on a resident’s balcony in an adjacent parking lot.”
The officer approached the man while reportedly commanding him to keep his hands in sight, but the suspect allegedly “continued to reach inside his pockets.”
The man was apprehended, and he was identified as 41-year-old Joel Lewis.
Lewis, who has served more than one prison term, was booked into the county jail. He is facing charges for suspicion of theft and resisting arrest.
It was reported that Lewis is also the defendant in an ongoing felony domestic battery case. He is currently out on bond awaiting his next court date for that incident.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.