An armed convicted felon arrested Monday at Target at Rolling Acres Plaza, also had $934 in stolen merchandise from Belk at La Plaza Grande.
Todd Wesley Carter, 27, was arrested after a Target loss prevention officer recognized him from a shoplifting incident at the store two days earlier.
A subsequent investigation turned up the Belk merchandise, with pricetags and security devices still attached, in the vehicle of his girlfriend and mother of his children. She said she did not know the stolen merchandise was in her vehicle. The merchandise included two drones, two Bluetooth speakers, cologne testers, cuff links, socks, shirts, and eight pairs of sunglasses.
Carter said he had stolen the merchandise as gifts for his children.
He was already being held at the Lake County Jail in connection with the Target case. Additional theft charges have been added.
