Two Ocala residents were arrested over the weekend after they were accused of stealing Nike sneakers from a local thrift store.
On Sunday, September 7, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to The Lotus House (3420 NE Jacksonville Road in Ocala) in reference to a theft incident that had occurred that afternoon, according to the arrest report.
The deputy noted in the report that the store’s owner provided video surveillance footage of the theft incident. On that footage, the two suspects – a man later identified as 44-year-old Danny Lee Fletcher and a woman later identified as 42-year-old Carla Ruth Pilkons – were observed grabbing separate pairs of Nike sneakers off a shelf inside the store at around 2:10 p.m.
Fletcher and Pilkons then allegedly both removed their shoes before placing the Nike sneakers on their feet. They then proceeded to walk out of the store while wearing the stolen sneakers, according to the report.
The store informed MCSO that the stolen sneakers were each valued at $100.
The report stated that during the theft incident, the male suspect (Fletcher) was wearing a blue T-shirt with the message “I just wet my pants” and camo shorts. The female suspect (Pilkons) was wearing a tank top with stars and stripes and blue jeans.
The store’s owner informed the deputy that a social media post had been made regarding the theft, which included photos of the two suspects in this case. Several individuals had contacted the owner regarding the post, identifying Fletcher and Pilkons as the suspects, according to the report.
While investigating the theft, the deputy was informed that Fletcher and Pilkons had been spotted in the 4700 block of NW 44th Avenue in Ocala. They were both riding bicycles, and they were allegedly still wearing the same clothing and stolen sneakers.
An MCSO sergeant who was in the area located Fletcher and Pilkons, and both suspects were detained for questioning. After being read their Miranda rights, Fletcher and Pilkons both allegedly admitted to committing the theft.
A criminal history search revealed that Fletcher has two prior theft convictions in Marion County, which occurred in 2020, along with two additional theft convictions in Alachua County the following year.
In 2018, Pilkons was previously convicted of theft in Marion County.
Fletcher and Pilkons were placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail, where they are both currently being held. Jail records show that Fletcher is being charged with petit theft (third or subsequent offense), which is a felony, and Pilkons is facing a misdemeanor petit theft charge.
A court date has not been scheduled yet for Fletcher or Pilkons, according to jail records.