A Wildwood shoplifting suspect who tried to hide in her pickup truck was arrested after police were forced to break the vehicle’s window.
Valerie Petters, 50, who lives at 3933 NE 91st Ave. in Wildwood, was with a male companion Thursday afternoon at Rural King in Leesburg when they pushed a cart containing merchandise out of the store without paying for it, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
She went to a maroon truck and unloaded the merchandise, then tried to hide under the dashboard when police approached. Her male companion went back into the store and was not apprehended.
Petters would not respond to police and continued to hide under the dashboard, although they could see her. An officer was forced to break the vehicle’s window. She was found to be in possession of clonazepam for which she did not have a prescription as well as drug paraphernalia.
The Waukegan, Ill. native was arrested on charges of drug possession, resisting arrest and retail theft. She was booked at the Lake County Jail on $4,500 bond.