WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – If the pursuit of a $131.55 shoplifting suspect seems “petty,” then the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is happy to wear the badge. Their persistence in a case dating back to February has resulted in a felony grand theft charge and the arrest of a man wanted in two other counties.
The incident occurred on February 23rd at the Family Dollar store on Recker Hwy in Winter Haven. A man, later identified as 36-year-old Glenn Westley Mathis of Orlando, allegedly stole merchandise valued at $131.55. A store employee followed the suspect out, managing to take photos of both the man and his vehicle.
The PCSO detective assigned to the case used those photographs to identify Mathis…