| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: REID, JUSTIN 0706 (AR14-10961) (14-88501) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE OR ENDEAVOR TO TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF WAL-MART, TO WIT: THREE JUVENILE VIDEO GAMES AND ONE RIFLE SCOPE MOUNT, BY 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 062814 AT APPROXIMATELY 1709 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO 1936 NORTH LECANTO HIGHWAY, WHICH IS THE WAL-MART SHOPPING CENTER IN LECANTO, IN REFERENCE TO A RETAIL PETIT THEFT THAT ALREADY OCCURRED WITH THE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE COMPLAINANT, MR BRIAN ELAM, WHO IS THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER OF THE WAL-MART SHOPPING CENTER. MR ELAM STATED HE OBSERVED A WHITE MALE IN THE SPORTING GOODS DEPARTMENT, WHO WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS THE DEFENDANT, MR PATRICK OWENS. HE STATED MR OWENS SELECTED A FEW ITEMS FROM THE SPORTING GOODS DEPARTMENT AND THEN MADE HIS WAY TO THE TOY DEPARTMENT WHERE HE OBSERVED MR OWENS ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL THE ITEMS INSIDE HIS BACKPACK BUT WAS INTERRUPTED BY AN ASSOCIATE WALKING BY. HE STATED MR OWENS THEN WENT INTO THE ELECTRONICS DEPARTMENT AND SELECTED A PLASTIC WAL-MART SHOPPING BAG AND THEN WENT BACK INTO THE TOY DEPARTMENT WHERE HE THEN PLACED THE ITEMS INSIDE THE WAL-MART BAG AND THEN INSIDE HIS BACKPACK. HE STATED MR OWENS THEN WENT INTO THE GARDEN CENTER AND PACED BACK AND FORTH FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND AT SOME POINT SHOVED THE V-TECH JUVENILE VIDEO GAMES UNDER THE FENCE OF THE GARDEN CENTER. HE STATED AS MR OWENS EXITED THE STORE, PASSING ALL POINTS OF SELL WITHOUT MAKING ANY ATTEMPT TO PAY FOR THE ITEMS, HE APPROACHED MR OWENS AND IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER AND THEN ESCORTED MR OWENS BACK TO THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICE WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE STATED AT THAT TIME, HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THREE JUVENILE V-TECH VIDEO GAMES AND ONE RIFLE SCOPE MOUNT, ALL UNDAMAGED, TOTALING $132.35. HE STATED AT THAT TIME HE MADE CONTACT WITH THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND AWAITED THE ARRIVAL OF THIS DEPUTY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT, MR PATRICK OWENS, WHO STATED HE WAS ON A BICYCLE RIDE AND HAD NO INTENTIONS OF COMING TO WAL-MART AND STEALING THE ITEMS. HE STATED WHILE ON HIS BICYCLE RIDE, HE STARTED THINKING OF HIS SON AND ONLY HAD $2.00 CASH ON HIM. HE STATED HE THEN WENT INSIDE WAL-MART AND COULD NOT FIND ANY TOYS FOR LESS THAN $2.00. HE STATED HE THEN STUPIDLY STOLE THREE JUVENILE V-TECH GAMES FOR HIS SON AND THAT HE ALSO TOOK A GUN SCOPE MOUNT SO HE MAY SELL IT AT A LATER DATE AND TIME. MR OWENS STATED HE WAS VERY STUPID FOR DOING THIS AND THAT TIMES WERE TOUGH AND HE HAD NO MONEY. AT THAT TIME, MR OWENS WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR RETAIL PETIT THEFT. HE WAS HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE WHERE HE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANT'S BOND WAS SET AT $500.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. BOTH THE COMPLAINANT AND THE DEFENDANT FILLED OUT AND SIGNED A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT, WHICH WERE BOTH LATER TURNED INTO RECORDS. MR ELAM PROVIDED THIS DEPUTY WITH A RECEIPT PRINTOUT OF ALL THE STOLEN/RECOVERED ITEMS, TO INCLUDE THEIR ITEMS, WHICH WAS ALSO LATER TURNED INTO RECORDS. DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND A POWER OUTAGE AT THE WAL-MART SHOPPING CENTER, MR ELAM WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE OF THIS INCIDENT BUT STATED HE WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHEN HE IS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE VIDEO FOOTAGE. MR ELAM WAS PROVIDED WITH AN AGENCY CASE CARD BEARING MY NAME, IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND CASE NUMBER AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT THIS AGENCY WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS CASE. |
