Jacksonville, FL: Three wanted individuals, two men and one woman from Jacksonville have been apprehended in Flagler County. The Flagler Sheriff said that the three were part of a statewide stealing operation that attempted to steal thousands of dollars from various retail establishments.
“These are not just random shoplifters that go in and steal a couple items and leave,” said Rick Staly, the sheriff of Flagler County. “They planned it out, and they came to our county specifically to steal from us.”
The sheriff’s office made public footage captured by body cameras that shows the events leading up to the retail theft, the pursuit, and the collision.
The Palm Coast Town Center in Flagler County was alerted to the theft of merchandise from Bath & Body Works and TJ Maxx at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Deputies from Flagler County responded to the scene.
“They were caught in the act by us because they made the mistake of coming to Flagler County,” Sheriff Staly stated.
According to Sheriff Staly, these wanted individuals are part of a larger criminal organization with a strategy, not merely shoplifters. According to him, they possessed a magnetic device that could evade the store’s anti-theft systems, hid their license plate under a facial mask, and wore surgical masks.
Teacher Arrested She Gave Hickeys To A Middle School Student In Florida
“These people are present in every major city, and they sell this stuff on the black market,” Sheriff Staly stated.
Sheriff Staly warned that the defendant will face consequences for his actions, including possible imprisonment, when he attempted to run over a deputy sheriff.
Tiara Gailyard, Amanda Wright, and driver Gerald Jenkins were all incarcerated, according to the sheriff, because of those decisions.
As you exit the parking lot, the white Toyota vehicle swiftly turns around, nearly collides with a deputy, and then speeds away onto the street. The police pursued them.
Jenkins, according to the sheriff, drove the vehicle carelessly, swerving in and out of traffic and then accelerating into State Road 100.
One of the deputies in the body camera footage claimed they reached speeds of 75 mph during the pursuit.
In order to halt them before I-95, deputies used StopSticks, a device that deflates tires, in the center of the road. The Toyota veers into a gas station, then crash into some shrubs, and finally ends up in a retention pond.
Florida Man Supposedly Stealing U-Haul Collides With Police Vehicle
Sheriff Staly expressed his pride in the deputies for apprehending the repeat criminals while ensuring public safety during their pursuit.
In order for my deputies to be able to arrest anyone, I have removed their handcuffs,” Sheriff Staly declared. “We strive to be more efficient in our efforts to safeguard not just the community and the deputies involved, but also the suspects who wish to evade capture.”
The suspects allegedly made off with fifty candles and about two thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise from Bath & Body Works, according to the sheriff’s office.
The three individuals in question have a history of arrests or warrants pending for felony theft or shoplifting.