A 57-year-old Oak Meadows woman will have to appear in Lake County Court to answer to a charge that she attempted to steal five cartons of Marlboro cigarettes from Publix at La Plaza Grande shopping center.
Brenda S. Arnold of 805 Harper Place allegedly entered the store at 5:20 p.m. Friday and told a clerk that she would pay for the cigarettes at the pharmacy, according to an incident report from the Lady Lake Police Department. However, a pharmacy employee indicated that Arnold only paid for her prescription.
When confronted by a Publix manager, Arnold allegedly went into the restroom and dumped the cigarettes and a package of meat into a trash can, the report indicated.
She left and was later tracked down by police at her residence, thanks to information obtained from the pharmacy.
When the officer interviewed Arnold, she reportedly broke down crying and said, “I don’t know why I did it.”
She has no prior theft charges. She was issued a Notice to Appear in court.
