A grandson who said he felt guilty because he didn’t get a gift for his grandmother for Christmas was arrested on a theft charge in The Villages.
Elias James Shackelford, 25, of Fredericksburg, Va. on Wednesday afternoon entered Belk at La Plaza Grande and attempted to remove a sensor from a pair of Levi’s jeans, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department. He was unsuccessful and decided to go to the ladies department.
Shackelford selected a ladies’ pair of Michael Kors sneakers and shoved them down the front of his pants. He left the store without paying for the sneakers and was stopped by the store’s loss prevention officer.
“Elias advised that he felt bad for not getting his grandmother something for Christmas so he thought she might like a pair of shoes. Elias stated that he knew what he did was wrong and asked to pay for the merchandise that he stole,” the arresting officer wrote in the report.
He was arrested on a charge of retail theft and booked at the Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.