A woman from Florida has been arrested for recruiting a child to assist her in a significant and costly shoplifting incident at a Target store over the weekend, according to local law enforcement officials.
Elizabeth Novac, 23, faces charges of grand theft involving amounts between $750 and $5,000, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor by prompting a child to engage in delinquent behavior, as reported by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 12, law enforcement arrived at a Target located on NE Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. It is claimed that the accused carried out her offenses while on foot.
The Cape Coral Police Department reported a theft estimated at $1,111 the day before in a press release issued on Friday.
Employees at the store informed the responding officers that the suspected thief was described as an “unknown woman” who entered the premises accompanied by “a child under the age of 10,” as reported by law enforcement.
According to police reports, authorities launched an inquiry and circulated the woman’s image among different law enforcement agencies.
Following a report regarding a woman soliciting donations on Thursday, an officer reportedly identified her as the individual sought in connection with the theft case at Target.
Authorities reported that Novac was later identified and taken into custody.
The authorities have not disclosed any information regarding the child’s connection to the accused.
Novac is currently held at the Lee County Jail with a total bond set at $15,000.