By TREY CHRISTY
trey.christy@newssun.com
SEBRING -- A group of Polk County women saw more of Highlands County than they were hoping Thursday after being arrested following an alleged shoplifting spree and a chase through The Bluffs condominiums complex.
According to a Highlands County Sheriff's Office report Angelina Lynn Cook, 29, of Bartow; Kiela Tanika Crews, 23, of Plant City; Odia Venessa McDonald, 32, of Lakeland; and Tara Lenea Preaster 31, of Lakeland teamed up to steal more than $2,000 worth of men's women's and children's clothing from Marshall's and an additional $795.14 worth of clothes from JC Penny, but only made it as far as the Kegel Bowling Center.
Dep. James Green saw the car as he was driving south on U.S. 27, said Sgt. Sean Casey. A be-on-the-lookout was put out for the vehicle, a blue Cadillac, to which Green responded when he saw them.
"As he passed the vehicle they got this look like 'OK,'" Casey said. "The car accelerated pretty quickly."
Green made a U-turn and followed the women as they pulled into the Kegel Bowling Center parking lot. Their car was parked behind a bus in an apparent attempt to hide it from the deputy.
"One started walking like she was walking into the bowling alley," Casey said.
Two others followed her while one suspect stayed in the car.
"He called the three back to the car and they started to comply," Casey said. "Then they went around the side of the bus and that's when they started to run."
All four women reportedly climbed the fence into The Bluffs complex, where they managed to elude capture for a few minutes.
Dep. Christopher Gunter and his K-9 partner Wyatt, a bloodhound, were called in to help with the search. The women were soon found hiding in some brush.
According to the report, their car was loaded with shopping bags full of clothes and there were also four tin snips, used to cut the theft-prevention devices off clothes, in the car.
All four women were charged with felony retail theft, felony possession of a shoplifting control device countermeasure, resisting an officer without violence and trespassing.
Each woman had her bond set at $3,000.
Crews and McDonald managed to make their $3,000 bond, while Preaster and Cook were still in the Highlands County Jail.
Friday, June 19, 2009 - www.newssun.com/0621-shoplifting-spree