| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY:\tSUDLOW, JAMES 0759 (AR15-16947) (15-138815) \t\t\tDONCOURT, DAVID 1396 DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO WIT: WAL-MART, OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000.00), TO WIT: $355.48, WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM OF A RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY OR A BENEFIT THEREOF, OR DID APPROPRIATE THE SAID PROPERTY TO HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANY PERSON NOT ENTITLED THERETO, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTES 812.014(2)(C)(1). ON 102215, I WAS DISPATCHED TO 2461 EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY, THE WAL-MART SUPER CENTER, IN REFERENCE TO A RETAIL GRAND THEFT. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE COMPLAINANT, THE ASSET PROTECTION OFFICER, MR JOE COMPOSTELLA, WHO STATED THAT ON TODAYâS DATE HE OBSERVED A MALE, LATER IDENTIFIED AS MR DAVID FOWLER/THE DEFENDANT, DISPLAYING SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR IN THE STORE. HE CONTINUED FLOOR SURVEILLANCE AND OBSERVED THE DEFENDANT SELECT A HOUSE WARE ITEM AND PLACE ANOTHER UPC BAR CODE ON THE BOX. THE DEFENDANT THEN PROCEEDED TO THE SELF CHECKOUT AND PAID FOR A KEURIG COFFEE MAKER FOR A LESSER PRICE. THE DEFENDANT THEN EXITED THE STORE, CROSSING ALL POINTS OF SALE WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPT TO PAY THE FULL PRICE FOR THE KEURIG. THE COMPLAINANT THEN STOPPED THE DEFENDANT AND EXPLAINED WHO HE WAS AND WHY HE WAS STOPPING HIM, AT WHICH TIME HE ESCORTED THE DEFENDANT TO THE ASSET PROTECTION OFFICE AND CONTACTED THIS AGENCY. I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT WHO STATED HE WAS SORRY FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE AND ADMITTED TO STEALING THE COFFEE MAKERS. DURING OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE COMPLAINANT, IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT THE SAME CRIME, UTILIZING THE SAME TACTICS EARLIER. THE CLERK/WITNESS, MS KATHIE ISAACSON, THEN ADVISED US THAT SHE WAS AT THE SELF CHECKOUTS WHEN THE DEFENDANT CAME TO THE REGISTER AND SCANNED A KEURIG. SHE OBSERVED IT RING UP AT $8.74. SHE KNEW THAT ITEM WAS WORTH MORE MONEY, AT WHICH POINT SHE TRIED TO ASSIST THE DEFENDANT AND EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT PRICE. AT THAT TIME, THE DEFENDANT SAT THE ITEM ON THE FLOOR. THE CLERK LIFTED UP THE BOX AND NOTICED HE HAD TAKEN THE UPC BAR CODE OFF OF ANOTHER ITEM AND WEDGED IT IN THE BOTTOM. THE CLERK THEN CHECKED THE PRICE OF THE KEURIG, WHICH WAS $169.00, AT WHICH TIME THE DEFENDANT DECIDED HE DID NOT WANT IT. THE CLERK THEN NOTIFIED THE STORE MANAGEMENT AND GAVE THEM THE UPC BAR CODE, ALONG WITH A PRINTED RECEIPT. THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN ADVISED HE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR ONE COUNT OF GRAND THEFT. HE WAS THEN HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND THE BACK AND SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. HE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANTâS BOND WAS SET AT $2,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. ALL PROPERTY WAS RETURNED BACK OVER TO WAL-MART. THE COMPLAINANT PROVIDED A COPY OF THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE, ALONG WITH THE TWO UPC CODES THAT WERE TORN OFF THE ITEMS AND COPIES OF THE WAL-MART RECEIPTS, WHICH WERE TURNED INTO EVIDENCE. HE ALSO PROVIDED A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT, WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO RECORDS. |
