Surveillance footage from a gate camera led to the arrest of a Middleton woman in a theft case.
Nicole Ann Moldehauer, 26, who lives in a home owned by her parents in the family section of The Villages near The Villages Charter School, is facing charges of theft and drug possession following her arrest this past week by the Wildwood Police Department.
Moldenhauer has been accused of stealing a patio bench from a front porch at Eden Magnolia Village, about four miles from Middleton, according to an arrest report. The homeowner said that the brown and beige wicker bench was worth $330. The woman’s Ring surveillance camera picked up an image of the bench thief. There were other reports of stolen porch furniture at Eden Magnolia Village.
A detective with the police department checked with The Villages Technology Solutions Group seeking surveillance images from the gate cameras at Middleton. Moldenhauer’s 2022 blue Nissan Kicks, with her clearly at the wheel, was seen on surveillance. The camera also picked up an image of a piece of brown and beige wicker furniture in the back seat of her vehicle. Moldenhauer appeared to match the woman caught on the Ring camera footage at Eden Magnolia Village.
Moldenhauer went to the Wildwood Police Department headquarters this past Friday for an interview. She could not explain the surveillance images showing the stolen patio bench in her vehicle.
Molderhauer’s parents were at the police station during their daughter’s interview. They said they had seen the patio bench in their daughter’s home, but did not know where it came from, the report noted. They indicated they had purchased all of the other furniture for their daughter’s home.
During the investigation, Moldenhauer was also found to be in possession of crack cocaine. She was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. She was released after posting $6,000 bond.
The Virginia Beach, Va. native has previous arrests:
• Last year she was arrested in a dating violence incident.
• She was ordered to stay away from booze in 2023 following an arrest at Spanish Springs Town Square.