The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office charged 13 people during a retail theft operation in Sarasota.

 

For three days in early August, members of the agency’s Tactical Unit focused on interrupting retail theft and identifying criminal activity in the university town center area. During the operation, deputies communicated with loss prevention personnel at Macy’s and Dillard’s in real-time to identify individuals attempting to steal merchandise. Collectively, those charged have 178 prior felony and misdemeanor charges with 54 convictions. Today, these 13 individuals now face a total of 20 new charges.

 

“Retail theft operations require planning, manpower, and days of focused enforcement, but as you can see, are well worth it,” commented Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman. “We rely on our partnerships with retailers and loss prevention personnel to identify criminal activity and hopefully, disrupt it before these businesses lose money. With the holiday season just around the corner, citizens can expect to see more focused efforts along retail corridors where deputies will maintain a presence and catch these criminals every chance they get.”

 

• Ashley Blake, DOB 01/10/92, of Palmetto, is charged with Larceny and Resisting an Officer without Violence. Following her arrest, she was held on a Manatee County warrant for Violation of Probation for Aggravated Assault with a Weapon.
• Lisa Christmas, DOB 05/26/79, of Bradenton, is charged with Grand Theft. After her arrest, deputies learned she was wanted out of Kentucky for Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card.
• Shania Dawkins, DOB 01/02/07, of 1789 Bethune Court, Sarasota, is charged with Grand Theft.
• Destiny Mahon, DOB 07/06/94, of Bradenton, was not physically arrested but instead issued a Notice to Appear for Petit Theft.
• Delphine Mond, DOB 05/30/85, of Tampa, is charged with Grand Theft and Resisting an Officer without Violence.
• Sakorria Jones, DOB 01/06/05, of 1842 23^rd Street, Sarasota, is charged with Grand Theft.
• Michael Kastruba, DOB 12/02/64, is charged with Larceny After a Prior Conviction. He was charged in March with Aggravated Battery and again in June with Burglary and Trespassing. Kastruba is a registered Sex Offender out of Michigan and because he never notified local authorities, he was charged with Violation of Sex Offender Registration in June. Kastruba is a transient offender living near the intersection of N. Seaboard and E. Venice Avenues in Venice.
• Tyrionna Mannings, DOB 09/03/06, of 3025 Leon Avenue, Sarasota, is charged with Grand Theft.
• Terry Smith, DOB 03/29/02, of 3020 Clay Circle, Sarasota, is charged with a single count of Larceny.
• Ja’Nyilah Tunstall, DOB 08/03/08, of 1728 Carver Court, Sarasota, is charged with Grand Theft.
• Juan Ricardo Navarro-Vega, DOB 12/12/89, of Louisiana, is charged with Grand Theft, Resisting an Officer without Violence, and Providing False Identification to a Law Enforcement Officer.
• Tevin Washington, DOB 08/02/03, of 2722 Feiffer Circle, Sarasota, is charged with Larceny After 2 or More Prior Convictions.
• Brittney Williams, DOB 08/26/92, of Bradenton, is charged with Larceny After 2 or More Prior Convictions and Resisting an Officer without Violence. Upon her arrest, deputies learned she had 21 outstanding warrants from Manatee County stemming from charges of Grand Theft, Petit Theft and Fraud.

This operation utilized the agency’s Criminal Investigations Section, Tactical and Crime Analysis Units. To date, Sarasota County retail theft operations have resulted in more than 300 arrests.