A 42-year-old Lehigh Acres woman was arrested after stealing over $1,000 worth of items from a local Dollar General.
On Monday, several Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Dollar General located at 11295 W Highway 40 in Ocala in reference to a theft in progress.
Upon arrival, Evelyn Espino Galvez was located in the store’s parking lot near a gray pickup truck.
Numerous grocery bags from the store were visible in the bed of the truck. Galvez told the deputies that she was going to pay for everything.
A female store employee told the deputies that she saw Galvez “trash” the store by throwing items from the shelves onto the ground. Galvez also allegedly placed random items into assorted trash bins.
The employee briefly stepped outside the store, and when she returned inside, she spotted Galvez behind the cash register area which was designated for employees only.
The employee asked for Galvez to step away from the counter. According to the employee, Galvez ignored the request and entered a nearby employee office.
While the employee was calling law enforcement, she witnessed Galvez exiting the store with bags full of unpaid items. The employee also saw Galvez steal a pair of headphones and a speaker from behind the counter where the cash registers were located.
The MCSO report indicated that the bags in the bed of Galvez’s truck were packed with assorted groceries, and the estimated value of loss for the store was $1,161.
Galvez repeatedly told the deputies that she would pay for all the items in the truck, and she also stated that she was planning on giving away the items as a donation.
Galvez was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $7,000 bond. She is facing felony charges for burglary and grand theft of less than $5,000.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.