| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: POLLARD, RANDALL 0677 (AR15-13853) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE OR ENDEAVOR TO TAKE, OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF WAL MART, TO WIT: REMOVED THE PROPERTY TOTALING $80.29, 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 $100.00, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 812.014(3)(A). ON 021115, I WAS CONTACTED BY LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER, MR JOSEPH COMPOSTELLA, WHO WAS WORKING AT WAL MART, LOCATED IN INVERNESS. MR COMPOSTELLA INFORMED ME THAT A MALE SUBJECT, WEARING A CAMOUFLAGE JACKET AND BLUE JEANS, WAS BEHAVING STRANGELY IN THE STORE; REMOVING ITEMS FROM THEIR PACKAGES AND CONCEALING THEM IN HIS POCKET. A SHORT WHILE LATER, I ARRIVED ON SCENE, WHERE I KEPT PHONE CONTACT WITH MR COMPOSTELLA, WHO WAS INSIDE WAL MART MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE MALE SUBJECT, IDENTIFIED AS DEFENDANT, MR TRAVIS POPE. FOR A PERIOD OF AN HOUR AND A HALF, I WAS OUTSIDE OF WAL MART ON THE PHONE WITH MR COMPOSTELLA, AS HE WAS UPDATING ME ON WHAT THE DEFENDANT WAS DOING AND WHAT ITEMS HE WAS REMOVING FROM BOXES AND CONCEALING IN HIS POCKETS. ANOTHER LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER WHO WAS WORKING, FOLLOWED THE DEFENDANT IN TO THE MCDONALDS THAT IS LOCATED INSIDE WAL MART, AND ADVISED THEY HEARD A PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE DEFENDANT AND AN UNKNOWN SUBJECT, WHO ADVISED THE DEFENDANT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS OUTSIDE. AT THAT TIME, DEPUTY SCHAFFER (0652), DEPUTY SEFFERN (0623), AND I WENT INSIDE OF MCDONALDS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SUBJECTS. THE FEMALE SUBJECT THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD BEEN SEEN WALKING AROUND WITH IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS MS KELLY SMITH. ONCE DETAINING BOTH SUBJECTS AND WALKING THEM TO THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICE, TWO ZIPPO LIGHTERS, BIC LIGHTERS, USB CABLE, STANLEY KNIFE BLADES, GORILLA GLUE, A FOUR IN ONE STYLUS, MTL SUNGLASSES, AND A FLASHLIGHT WERE ALL REMOVED FROM THE DEFENDANTâS POCKETS. THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO FIND THE RIPPED OPEN PACKAGE BOXES, WHICH INITIALLY HOUSED THESE ITEMS. ON THE BOXES IS A SERIAL NUMBER FOR THE SCANNER TO RECOGNIZE THE PRODUCT AND CHARGE APPROPRIATELY. THE DEFENDANT HAD TAKEN THE BOXES AND PLACED THEM IN CARDBOARD/PLASTIC HOUSINGS FOR MENâS UNDERWEAR IN THE MENâS DEPARTMENT. BASED ON MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE, THE DEFENDANT WAS ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY ANY PACKAGING, WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY THE STOLEN ITEMS. HE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO DEPRIVE WAL MART OF THE BENEFIT, USE, OR COMPENSATION OF THOSE ITEMS. WHILE INSIDE THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICE, THE LEFT OVER ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE DEFENDANTâS SHOPPING CART WERE ADDED UP TO $330.57. THESE ITEMS, ALONG WITH THE ITEMS WHICH PACKAGES WERE DESTROYED, TOTALED $410.86. THE DEFENDANT AND MS SMITH ONLY HAD A COMBINED AMOUNT OF $88.00 ON THEIR PERSON, WITH NO OTHER DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO PAY ANY FURTHER. THE UNDAMAGED ITEMS INSIDE THE DEFENDANTâS SHOPPING CART WERE RETURNED TO WAL MART AND COULD BE RESOLD. THE ITEMS WITH THE DESTROYED PACKAGES WERE RELEASED BACK TO WAL MART. RECEIPTS WERE OBTAINED AND TURNED IN TO RECORDS. THE DEFENDANT WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST, HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK, AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, WHERE HIS BOND WAS SET AT $500.00, FOR RETAIL PETIT THEFT (VALUE $100.00 OR LESS), PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. \t |
