The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman is facing charges after she was accused of stealing from a Dollar General store in northeastern Florida and battering the pregnant employee who tried to intervene.
Late in the morning on January 2, a woman rode a bicycle to a Dollar General in Palm Coast so she could pick up a lighter. The patron, who was described as wearing a blonde wig, a hat, and a scarf, was allegedly seen approaching the checkout counter near the shelf where the lighters are kept. When she learned they cost $2.00 each, the woman reportedly told the cashier that she did not have enough to pay for one. She allegedly grabbed the lighter anyway and headed towards the door. The cashier, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, tried to stand in the way so she could not leave the building, but the woman allegedly shoved her and walked out.
The authorities were notified, but before they arrived, the suspect had already ridden away on her bike. They talked to the cashier and a witness and set out to locate the woman. They collected a picture of the suspect from a surveillance camera and posted it on social media, and someone who saw it provided the woman’s whereabouts to the sheriff’s office.
On January 16, the woman, who was out on a conditional release for a contempt of court charge incurred a few weeks ago, was taken into custody and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. She is facing preliminary charges of one felony count of aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, and one misdemeanor count of petit theft by shoplifting. According to facility records, she is currently being held in lieu of a $6,000 bond. When she spoke to the authorities about the incident, she said she did pay for the lighter, and that she did not put her hands on the employee.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.