| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: LUDLOW, CHRISTOPHER 0214 (AR10114112) DID UNLAWFULLY HAVE IN HER ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: ONE GRAM OF METHAMPHETAMINE, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.13(6)(A); AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE OR ENDEAVOR TO TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF KANE'S ACE HARDWARE , TO WIT: THREE CONTAINERS OF HOUSEHOLD LYE, CARRYING AWAY THE SAID MERCHANDISE, WITH INTENT TO TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE, A MERCHANT, OF THE POSSESSION, USE, BENEFIT, OR FULL RETAIL VALUE OF SAID PROPERTY, SAID PROPERTY BEING OF A VALUE OF LESS THAN $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTES 812.015, 812.014(1), AND 812.014(3)(A). ON 040210 AT APPROXIMATELY 1020 HOURS, I RESPONDED TO 3600 SOUTH SUNCOAST BOULEVARD, IN REFERENCE TO A RETAIL THEFT IN PROGRESS. WHILE EN ROUTE I WAS ADVISED BY DISPATCH THAT THE SUSPECT WAS A FEMALE WEARING A PURPLE JUMP SUIT AND HAD POSSIBLY ENTERED INTO A WHITE PONTIAC ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE THE SCENE. UPON ARRIVAL, I OBSERVED A WHITE PONTIAC STATIONARY IN THE PARKING LOT OCCUPIED BY TWO FEMALES. I ALSO OBSERVED A DARK COLORED PICKUP TRUCK PARKED AT AN ANGLE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE WHITE PONTIAC. THE TWO FEMALES INSIDE THE WHITE PONTIAC WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE DRIVER/DEFENDANT TWO, MS MARGARET ANN SCOTT, AND THE PASSENGER/DEFENDANT ONE, MS AMY G MCKAY. DEFENDANT ONE WAS WEARING A PURPLE JUMP SUIT AND BEGAN TO SPONTANEOUSLY STATE, "I TOOK ITEMS FROM INSIDE THE STORE, IT'S MY FAULT." I REQUESTED DEFENDANT ONE TO EXIT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AT WHICH TIME, SHE WAS HANDCUFFED BEHIND HER BACK AND SEATED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. ALSO PRESENT AT THE SCENE WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR KANE'S ACE HARDWARE. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED ON THIS DATE (040210) HE OBSERVED A WHITE FEMALE (DEFENDANT ONE) ENTER KANE'S ACE HARDWARE AND RETRIEVE THREE CONTAINERS OF HOUSEHOLD LYE AND PLACE THEM IN HER PURSE. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THAT DEFENDANT ONE PAID FOR A FORTH CONTAINER, WHICH TOTALED $3.49, AND EXITED THE STORE WITHOUT PAYING FOR THE THREE CONTAINERS CONCEALED IN HER PURSE. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THAT HE BEGAN TO FOLLOW DEFENDANT ONE OUTSIDE INTO THE PARKING LOT AS SHE BEGAN TO WALK QUICKLY TOWARD A WHITE PONTIAC, WHICH WAS OCCUPIED BY DEFENDANT TWO. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THE WHITE PONTIAC WAS PARKED NEAR THE END OF THE PARKING LOT CLOSEST TO US HIGHWAY 19. DEFENDANT ONE ENTERED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AT which TIME, THE GENERAL MANAGER APPROACHED THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW AND TOLD DEFENDANT TWO TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, TO WHICH DEFENDANT TWO DID NOT COMPLY. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THAT HE INFORMED DEFENDANT ONE THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT SHE HAD STOLEN THE CONTAINERS OF LYE, TO WHICH DEFENDANT ONE DENIED STEALING THEM AND BEGAN TELLING DEFENDANT TWO TO GO AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED ONCE AGAIN HE INFORMED BOTH OF THE DEFENDANTS TO NOT GO ANYWHERE AND THAT A THEFT WAS COMMITTED, HOWEVER, DEFENDANT TWO BEGAN TO ACCELERATE BACKWARDS AT A SLOW SPEED. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED DURING THIS TIME HE HAD REACHED INSIDE THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF, HOWEVER, DEFENDANT TWO CONTINUED TO TRAVEL IN REVERSE NOW ACCELERATING AT A SLIGHTLY INCREASED SPEED. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED AT THAT TIME, HE FELT AS IF HE WAS BEING DRUG BY THE VEHICLE AND WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO GAIN HIS BALANCE WHEN THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STOPPED. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THAT A WITNESS WHO WAS IN THE PARKING LOT SAW WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE AND PULLED HIS VEHICLE BEHIND THE SUSPECT VEHICLE TO GET THEM TO STOP. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED THAT WHILE HE WAS LEANED INSIDE THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF HE RECALLED SEEING DEFENDANT TWO TURNING AROUND TO NAVIGATE AS THE VEHICLE TRAVELED IN REVERSE. THE GENERAL MANAGER ADVISED IT APPEARED THAT DEFENDANT TWO WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE THE SCENE. THE GENERAL MANAGER COMPLETED A WRITTEN STATEMENT AS TO HIS OBSERVATION AND INVOLVEMENT. I MADE CONTACT WITH DEFENDANT ONE AND READ HER MIRANDA VIA A SHERIFF'S OFFICE PREPRINTED CARD, AND SHE ADVISED SHE WOULD FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY SPEAK WITH ME. DEFENDANT ONE ADVISED THAT ON THIS DATE (040210), SHE ASKED DEFENDANT TWO FOR A RIDE TO THE KANE'S ACE HARDWARE SO SHE COULD PURCHASE THE HOUSEHOLD LYE CONTAINERS. DEFENDANT ONE ADVISED DEFENDANT TWO DROPPED HER OFF AT THE FRONT DOOR, AT WHICH TIME, SHE ENTERED THE STORE AND REMOVED FOUR CONTAINERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD LYE ONLY PAYING FOR ONE OF THEM. DEFENDANT ONE ADVISED THAT SHE WAS PAID $20.00 BY A FRIEND TO GO AND PURCHASE THE CONTAINERS OF LYE. DEFENDANT ONE ADVISED THAT WHEN SHE EXITED THE STORE SHE OBSERVED THE EMPLOYEE FOLLOWING HER, AT which TIME, SHE ENTERED DEFENDANT TWO'S VEHICLE AND YELLED FOR HER TO "GO, GO, GO." DEFENDANT ONE ADVISED THAT DEFENDANT TWO WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT SHE HAD JUST DONE AND HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN THIS CASE. DEFENDANT ONE WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR RETAIL THEFT, AT WHICH TIME, I CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT FURTHER EVIDENCE RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT DEFENDANT ONE'S PURSE WAS POSITIONED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE AND ONLY THREE CONTAINERS OF LYE WERE FOUND INSIDE THE PURSE. A FURTHER SEARCH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE OTHER CONTAINER OF LYE IN ADDITION TWO A BLACK WALLET WITH DEFENDANT ONE'S PICTURE ID INSIDE. I CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF DEFENDANT ONE'S WALLET, AT WHICH TIME, I LOCATED A SMALL CLEAR PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING AN OFF WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE. I ASKED DEFENDANT ONE IF THIS WAS HER BLACK PURSE, TO which SHE REPLIED YES. I THEN RETRIEVED THE SMALL PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING THE SUBSTANCE AND ASKED HER WHAT THE SUBSTANCE WAS AND IF IT BELONGED TO HER. SHE REPLIED, "YES, THAT'S METH." THE OFF WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE WAS FIELD TESTED AND INDICATED A POSITIVE READING FOR METHAMPHETAMINE. DEFENDANT ONE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE SHE WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF RETAIL THEFT AND ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. A PROPERTY RECEIPT WAS COMPLETED AND THE ONE CONTAINER OF LYE THAT WAS PURCHASED BY DEFENDANT ONE WAS COLLECTED AS EVIDENCE. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
