A homeless man went on a shopping spree with a stolen credit card after burglarizing a car in The Villages.
A 77-year-old resident of The Villages said her car was burglarized Tuesday night when she and her husband went out to eat at Beef O’ Brady’s at Colony Plaza, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. They left the restaurant at about 8:30 p.m. and when they got home she discovered a “Las Vegas” tote bag had been stolen from their unlocked vehicle. The tote bag contained her iPhone SE, her driver’s license and her credit card. She checked her card and found there had been five fraudulent purchases, including purchases at the nearby 7-Eleven and Walmart at Sarasota Plaza.
A deputy checked the surveillance from the two stores and saw images of the man who made the illicit purchases with the stolen credit card.
The Villager contacted the sheriff’s office after her phone pinged at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Colony Plaza. The same deputy who had viewed the surveillance went to Colony Plaza and found 32-year-old Joshua Galarza in the parking lot. He had a bicycle and the Villager’s “Las Vegas” tote bag. He also had her credit card.
The Villager arrived on the scene and identified her stolen items.
Galarza was arrested on charges of burglary and fraud. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center where he was initially held without bond. The report noted he is homeless.
