A Florida woman accused of leaving Publix with a shopping cart full of laundry detergent pods was arrested the next day while driving a stolen Ford Focus. Deputies also found merchandise from another store in the back seat, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The trouble started October 4, 2026, at a Publix on U.S. Highway 27 in Davenport. An employee told detectives she watched a woman leave with a cart full of Tide and Gain detergent pods without paying.
The employee also saw the woman leave in a black Ford. After reviewing surveillance footage, detectives identified 46-year-old Jessica Knight and obtained a warrant for her arrest.
The Ford had actually been stolen earlier that day from the parking lot of Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee. On October 5, deputies learned that a stolen 2013 Ford Focus had been spotted near Marigold Avenue and Walnut Street.
Deputies Found the Stolen Ford
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According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies found Knight driving the Ford and pulled her over. She was arrested on the outstanding warrant from the Publix theft.
Deputies checked her driver’s license and discovered it had been revoked since 2014. There was also a passenger in the car, 50-year-old Marshall Callahan.
Deputies Find More Stolen Merchandise in the Car
Before deputies stopped Knight, an employee at a Dollar General on Palmetto Street in Kissimmee had reported another theft. The employee said a woman took several items and left without paying.
Detectives watched the store’s surveillance footage and identified Knight as the suspect. She was still wearing the same clothes when deputies stopped her.
There was also a basket full of merchandise from Dollar General sitting in the back seat of the Ford. Deputies said the stolen items were worth $124.67.
Both People Were Arrested
Knight was charged with two counts of felony petit theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended license. The sheriff’s office said her previous theft convictions were why the petit theft charges were felonies.
Callahan was also arrested, but he wasn’t charged with either of the retail thefts or stealing the Ford. He was charged with trespassing and violation of probation.
The sheriff’s office said Knight had five previous felony convictions and five misdemeanor convictions, including offenses involving robbery, burglary and theft.
Sheriff Grady Judd commented on the arrest in the October 8 news release. “Jessica Knight has proven that if she’s not locked up, she’s stealing,” Judd said.