A teenager in Polk County, Florida, was arrested after an alleged series of months-long car burglaries, during which credit cards, laptops, and luggage were stolen. According to the authorities, her arrest stemmed from her clothing and, of all things, a dog.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the spree began back on April 19, 2026. At the time, deputies responded to a burglary report on Redfin Drive in Kissimmee.
Upon arrival, the victim told deputies that an individual had broken into his unlocked vehicle and stolen a variety of items. These included his key fob and a debit card.
The suspect didn’t stop there. According to the PCSO, this individual also entered two additional vehicles belonging to residents of the same household, taking items such as a Social Security card, bank cards, and a wallet. Furthermore, the suspect was accused of attempting to make fraudulent transactions with the stolen cards.
More Burglaries
Less than a month later, on May 17, 2026, deputies once again responded to Redfin Drive. Another victim reported that someone entered his company vehicle and stole a backpack containing the vehicle’s registration card and a laptop charger.
On June 15, 2026, deputies responded to Pilchard Court, located just a few roads away from Redfin Drive. Someone had broken into a victim’s vehicle and stolen luggage stored inside.
Finally, on July 24, 2026, victims located on Sail Ct reported a vehicle burglary. Again, this occurred in a neighborhood closer to the other burglary incidents. Someone had stolen a driver’s license, six debit and credit cards, a school bag containing an Apple MacBook and a Dell laptop, and a purse.
Clothing and Dog
PCSO deputies, through investigative efforts and a review of surveillance footage, identified the suspect as Nichele Pierce, a 17-year-old from Kissimmee. A search warrant on her home was executed shortly after.
Deputies found multiple clothing items that matched the ones worn by the suspect shown in the footage, the sheriff’s office said. Furthermore, a dog was found in the home, matching the description of the one seen accompanying the suspect during one of the burglaries.
Stolen items were also recovered. These include Social Security cards, debit and credit cards, driver’s licenses, and insurance cards. No information was provided by the sheriff’s office regarding the laptops, luggage, wallet, or purse.
Admission, Charges
Pierce was taken into custody. During an interview with detectives, the 17-year-old admitted to all the burglaries and to using stolen debit and credit cards for fraudulent transactions.
As a result, she is now facing multiple serious charges. These include eight counts of unoccupied burglary, grand theft, four counts of petit theft, three counts of fraudulent use of credit cards, unlawful possession of personal identification information, theft of a credit card, unlawful use of a 2-way communication device, and four counts of loitering.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called the case a compelling example of the importance of locking car doors at all times and removing valuables. “Lock it, or lose it,” he added.