Florida Woman does meth, then eats at Wal-Mart

December 28, 2015

LECANTO, Fla. – A Florida woman is facing criminal charges after she did methamphetamine, then drove a motorized shopping cart through Wal-Mart, turning the superstore into a personal buffet.

According the arrest report from Citrus County Sheriff's Office, security officer R. Gross noticed J. E. Lopez, 25, consume nearly $33.00worth of food and wine as she drove the cart through the Lecanto store.

Gross said that he watched as Lopez opened sushi, ate a piece then put it back on the shelf. He watched her do the same thing with a package of cinnamon rolls and mini muffins. He told NBC6 that Lopez also ate almost an entire rotisserie chicken.

Lopez told the authorities that she was homeless and she was hungry. She also said that just before the incident, she injected herself with methamphetamine.

The 25-year-old was arrested on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and retail petit theft, NBC6 reported.

Under Section 812.014 of the Florida Statutes, petit theft is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by:

• Up to 60 days in jail
• A fine not to exceed $500

The homeless woman is also being accused of possession drug paraphernalia, which is covered under Section 893.147 of the Florida Statutes. Under this section, it is unlawful to use or possess drug paraphernalia.

The offense of possessing drug paraphernalia in Florida is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.
THEFT DEFENSE IN MIAMI, FLORIDAThe state of Florida comes down hard on people who steal, even if they have an excuse such as being homeless, hungry, or in desperate need.

To illustrate, if someone steals between $100 and $300 worth of property from another's home as defined under Section 810.011(2), it is grand theft of the third degree.

In Florida, grand theft of the third degree is a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

If you are facing theft-related charges in Miami-Dade County, contact Donet, McMillan & Trontz, P.A. for a hard-hitting defense from one of the county's highest-rated criminal defense firms!