Shoplifter Arrested

On 11/21/2011, Navarre Wal-Mart loss prevention contacted the Santa Rosa Sheriffs office in regards to two subjects fraudulently returning merchandise without receipts. Loss prevention officers said that the suspects came to the store and showed the clerks their identification cards which had altered numbers on them to disguise their true identity. Loss prevention officers directed responding deputies to the Murphy’s gas station where the two suspects relocated after being detected by loss prevention. One suspect,Tonya R. Crawford, was exiting the Murphy’s store and walked to her vehicle when a responding deputy made contact with her. The deputy asked Crawford to step away from the drivers door and she failed to comply. The deputy saw Crawford hand something off to the passenger of the vehicle. Crawford was again told to step away from the vehicle. It was later found that Crawford had handed the passenger her identification card so that the passenger could wipe off the altered numbers.

Loss prevention officers arrived and identified the occupants as being the suspects that had previously been inside of Wal Mart. The deputy asked Crawford her name and general information another deputy spoke to the other occupant. Deputies noticed several over-stuffed Wal-Mart bags filled with merchandise inside of Crawford’s vehicle. Crawford was asked about the bags and she denied knowing anything about them. Crawford was read her Miranda Rights and she elected not to talk to deputies. The passenger of Crawford’s vehicle (identified as Kimberly R. Adams) was also advised her Miranda Rights and agreed to talk to deputies. Adams said that she and Crawford came to Florida to return stolen items to Wal-Mart. She said that she and Crawford drove to the Milton store and returned stolen merchandise that she (Crawford) brought with her from Georgia. They both shoplifted at the Milton Wal-Mart and exchanged Crawford’s merchandise for gift cards. They then drove to the Gulf Breeze Wal-Mart and did the same thing. They then left the Gulf Breeze store and drove to the Navarre Wal-Mart store. They again exchanged merchandise and had the store put money onto several Visa debit cards. Based on the evidence and statements given by loss prevention and Adams, Crawford was taken into custody. Adams was not arrested at the time of the incident due to her being eight months pregnant. Future charges are pending against her.

Numerous Wal-Mart bags with merchandise were found in Crawford’s vehicle. The merchandise still had tags on them. There were also numerous Visa debit cards found inside of the vehicle. Before being transported to the jail, Crawford asked deputies for medication and a medicine bottle from inside of her purse. Deputies found two different types of pills inside of Crawford’s medicine bottle. Adderall (a schedule 2 narcotic) was mixed in with the pills that were supposed to be in the bottle. Crawford is not prescribed Adderall. Crawford was arrested and transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail. She was charged with giving false information to obtain refund, possession of prescription medication without a prescription and for fraud/swindle to obtain property. Her vehicle was seized by the Sheriff’s Office due to it being used during the commission of a felony.