| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: FERGUSON, ROBERT 0505 (AR14-8696) did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that THE DEFENDANT knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: 010714: A GPS MOUNTING KIT, $26.31, A PAIR OF MENâS PANTS, $12.88 (CASH), the property of WAL-MART/VICTIM, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); AND did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that THE DEFENDANT knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: 010814: NAIR HAIR REMOVAL, $6.34 IN GIFT CARD, the property of WAL-MART/VICTIM, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); AND did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that THE DEFENDANT knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: 010914: HAIR CARE PRODUCTS $5.17, DIMMER SWITCH $8.97, EMB DENTAL FLOSS $3.97, the property of WAL-MART/VICTIM, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); AND did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that THE DEFENDANT knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: 011214: DEFENDANTS RETURNED PLANT FOOD ($3.77), AND HEADPHONES ($39.88), the property of WAL-MART/VICTIM, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN OR USE, OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, WAL-MART, TO WIT: ON 010714 A GPS MOUNTING KIT, $26.31, AND A PAIR OF MENâS PANTS $12.88 (CASH), SAID PROPERTY BEING OF A VALUE OF LESS THAN $300.00, 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 STATE STATUTES 812.014(1) and 812.014(3)(a), AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN OR USE, OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, WAL-MART, TO WIT: ON 010914, HAIR CARE PRODUCTS $5.17, DIMMER SWITCH $8.97, EMB DENTAL FLOSS $3.97, SAID PROPERTY BEING OF A VALUE OF LESS THAN $300.00, 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 STATE STATUTES 812.014(1) and 812.014(3)(a), AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN OR USE, OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, WAL-MART, TO WIT: ON 010914, HAIR CARE PRODUCTS $5.17, DIMMER SWITCH $8.97, EMB DENTAL FLOSS $3.97, SAID PROPERTY BEING OF A VALUE OF LESS THAN $300.00, 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 STATE STATUTES 812.014(1) and 812.014(3)(a), AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN OR USE, OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, WAL-MART, TO WIT: ON 011214, DEFENDANT RETURNED PLANT FOOD $3.77, AND SET OF HEADPHONES $39.88, SAID PROPERTY BEING OF A VALUE OF LESS THAN $300.00, 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 STATE STATUTES 812.014(1) and 812.014(3)(a). ON 011214, I RESPONDED TO 1936 NORTH LECANTO HIGHWAY IN LECANTO, WHICH IS WAL-MART, IN REFERENCE TO A THEFT THAT HAD ALREADY OCCURRED. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT with LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER, MR BRIAN ELAM. MR ELAM ADVISED HE OBSERVED A WHITE MALE AND A WHITE FEMALE LATER IDENTIFIED AS the DEFENDANTS, MR ANTHONY BALLARD AND MS RENEE BALLARD, ENTER the STORE AND GO DIRECTLY the LAWN AND GARDEN SECTION. THEY SELECTED A SMALL BOTTLE OF INDOOR PLANT FOOD AND RENEE PLACED IT INTO HER PURSE. BOTH ANTHONY AND RENEE THEN ENTERED ELECTRONICS WHERE RENEE SELECTED A PAIR OF HEADPHONES, OPENED the BOX, AND THEN PLACED the HEADPHONES INSIDE HER PURSE AS WELL. THE TWO THEN ENTERED LADYâS WEAR WHERE RENEE REMOVED AN EMPTY WAL-MART BAG AND PLACED the TWO ITEMS INTO THE BAG. ANTHONY THEN TOOK THE BAG AND the TWO ITEMS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE HE CONDUCTED A REFUND RECEIVING $46.27. MR ELAM FURTHER ADVISED THAT ON 010714 BOTH MR AND MS BALLARD SELECTING A GPS MOUNTING KIT AND A PAIR OF MENâS PANTS FROM THE SHELF, RETURNING THEM TO the CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA WHERE THEY RECEIVED A GIFT CARD FOR THE MOUNTING KIT BECAUSE IT DID NOT MATCH the same ONE THEY HAD A RECEIPT FOR. THEY WERE ALSO GIVEN $12.88 IN CASH FOR THE PANTS. THEY AGAIN RETURNED ON 010814 WHERE THEY REMOVED A BOTTLE OF NAIR HAIR REMOVER FROM the SHELF AND RETURNED IT AT CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE THEY RECEIVED $6.34 ON A GIFT CARD BECAUSE IT AGAIN DID NOT MATCH the RECEIPT THAT THEY HAD. THEY AGAIN RETURNED TO THE STORE ON 010914 WHERE THEY REMOVED A HAIR REMOVAL PRODUCT, A DIMMER SWITCH, and DENTAL FLOSS FROM the STORE SHELVES, RETURNED THOSE ITEMS AT CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR A CASH REFUND OF $19.20. MR ELAM PROVIDED ME WITH A DVD OF the EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ON the 7TH, 8TH, AND 9TH and ADVISED HE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH ANOTHER DVD FOR the EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ON TODAYâS DATE AT A LATER TIME. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH RENEE AND ANTHONY BALLARD WHO WERE READ THEIR MIRANDA WARNINGS VIA PRE-PRINTED CARD. BOTH RENEE and ANTHONY ADVISED THEY UNDERSTOOD THEIR RIGHTS AND that THEY WOULD SPEAK WITH ME. BOTH ANTHONY and RENEE ADVISED THAT they HAD PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED the HEADPHONES AND THAT THEY ATTEMPTED TO RETURN THEM AT A DIFFERENT WAL-MART. THEY ADVISED the other WAL-MART would NOT GIVE THEM A REFUND SO THEY WERE DISGRUNTLED AND DECIDED TO STEAL another SET OF HEADPHONES AND RETURN IT FOR A REFUND. RENEE DENIED STEALING THE PLANT FOOD. UPON SEARCHING the DEFENDANTSâ PERSON and PROPERTY, I LOCATED IN RENEEâS PURSE NUMEROUS WAL-MART RECEIPTS. ALL THE RECEIPTS WERE CRUMPLED AS IF THEY HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY THROWN AWAY, HOWEVER WHILE IN HER PURSE THEY WERE NEATLY STACKED and FOLDED WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THEM FROM BEING CRUMPLED WHILE INSIDE HER PURSE. MR ELAM RESEARCHED TWO OF THE TRANSACTIONS WHICH MR AND MS BALLARD ADVISED THAT THEY HAD OBTAINED AND IN BOTH VIDEOS IT WAS SOMEONE OTHER THAN MR OR MS BALLARD MAKING THE PURCHASES FOR THOSE RECEIPTS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PREVIOUS INCIDENTS RENEE ADVISED SHE NO LONGER WANTED TO SPEAK with ME. BOTH ANTHONY AND RENEE WERE PLACED UNDER ARREST. ANTHONY WAS HANDCUFFED IN FRONT (DOUBLE LOCKED), WHILE RENEE WAS HANDCUFFED BEHIND HER BACK (DOUBLE LOCKED). BOTH WERE SEATED IN REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. BOTH DEFENDANTS WERE CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF RETAIL PETIT THEFT WITH BOND SET AT $1,000.00, AND FOUR COUNTS OF DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY BOND SET AT $40,000.00, PER the BOND SCHEDULE. MR ELAM SIGNED A SWORN, WRITTEN STATEMENT, WHICH WILL BE TURNED INTO RECORDS. THE DVD WILL ALSO BE TURNED INTO EVIDENCE. |
