Two women were charged with shoplifting from Winn-Dixie on Monday and one of them had a drug charge added when unprescribed pills were found inside her vehicle.
Michelle Rachel Sarmiento, 36, of Silver Springs, was charged with second-degree petit theft (first offense) and possession of a harmful new legend drug without a prescription, while Tina Linea Manter, 51, of Anthony, was charged with second-degree petit theft (second offense).
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded to the Winn-Dixie store at 7131 N. U.S. Hwy. 441 shortly after 11 a.m. Monday. Sarmiento and Manter had been detained after Sarmiento was seen on video surveillance stealing items. When detained, Sarmiento had multiple pain relief patches inside her waistband area, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Sarmiento told the deputy she was having severe back pain and didn’t have the money to pay for the patches, so she decided to take them without paying. She said she didn’t remember taking any other items, but she did recall that Manter took some items without paying, the report said.
Manter denied stealing anything and said Sarmiento was the only one who took items and placed them in her purse. But a review of the video showed Manter putting items in her purse while Sarmiento was placing items in her waistband, according to the report.
While in the process of completing the tow sheet inventory on Sarmiento’s vehicle, a deputy observed a white pill by the air conditioning vents. A search on drugs.com identified the pill as Gabapentin, and three other pills were found inside an unrelated yellow prescription bottle. Asked if the pills were hers, Sarmiento said they were prescribed to her a long time ago, but she didn’t have the prescription to prove it, the report said.
Sarmiento and Manter were arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail. Sarmiento is being held on $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on March 20. Manter is being held on $1,000 bond, and no court information for her was available.