A woman in Polk County, Florida, was arrested on petty theft and booked into jail. Her car was impounded by a tow truck driver, who is accused of breaking into the woman’s vehicle and stealing her debit card. She would find out shortly after she bonded out of jail.
The incident was shared online by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd through CBS12 News. He has made a daily tradition of sharing morning briefings with the Polk County residents, during which he often shares particular stories pertaining to crimes such as the one described above.
In this case, Sheriff Judd shared the incident involving the unnamed woman. According to him, the lady had been arrested on petty theft charges.
Protocol dictated that her vehicle was to be inventoried, photos were to be taken, and her vehicle was to be impounded. Therefore, Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies called a towing service.
Woman Bonds Out of Jail
Eventually, the woman managed to post bond, getting released from jail as a result. Depending on the circumstances that led to her petty theft charge, the woman had to post up to $1,000.
However, once the woman went to pick up her car, she noticed that some of her belongings, including her debit card, were missing. Someone had broken into her vehicle.
“So, even though we just arrested her and put her in jail, now she’s a victim,” Sheriff Judd said. “So, she calls us back and says, “You know, I might have been arrested for petty theft and stealing somebody else’s stuff, but I really don’t like people stealing my stuff.”
Suspect Identified
The PCSO quickly began investigating the incident involving the recently released woman. Turns out, the individual responsible for the theft was no other than the two truck driver himself, Sheriff Judd said.
The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Markus Anthony. Allegedly, not only did he grab the debit card for himself, but he also used it to make some purchases.
Furthermore, a background check was conducted and revealed that the man had past issues with the law. In fact, he had active burglary warrants out of Osceola County.
Tow Truck Driver Arrested
The PCSO eventually located Anthony and placed him under arrest. Allegedly, he was also in possession of unspecified illegal drugs.
Markus Anthony is charged with burglary, theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and possession of drugs. This is on top of his outstanding Osceola County warrant.
Sheriff Judd also announced an open investigation into the towing company. He added, “Who is it you’re hiring? We have to have trustworthy people in this business. And this guy here is not trustworthy.”