Florida woman behind bars for alleged ‘serial theft’

On December 15, 2024By Online Niel

Lourdes Rodriguez appears in a booking photo.

Lourdes Rodriguez (Palm Beach County Jail).

A Florida woman was recently arrested for being part of a lucrative retail theft ring that targeted a number of businesses including Ulta, CVS, Walgreens and liquor stores in the Sunshine State, authorities say.

Lourdes Rodriguez, 20, is charged with two counts each of organized retail theft and grand theft, according to a press release issued by the Florida Attorney General’s Office for the State Attorney’s Office.

The defendant was arrested this week and is said to be the third member of a theft operation that caused more than $100,000 in losses to more than four dozen different Florida businesses.

The defendant herself allegedly committed more than a dozen burglaries in Brevard, Martin, Palm Beach, Sarasota and Seminole counties, authorities say. Her alleged thefts totaled approximately $15,000.

“She would hide them on her person or in her bag and run from the store,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said in comments reported by West Palm Beach. CBS affiliate WPEC.

Martin County was the initial site of the Lourdes investigation, authorities say, but that investigation eventually led law enforcement to see what is believed to be a much larger pool of illegally obtained retail goods.

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“Once the arrest was made, the authorities collectively realized that she was hitting store after store,” the sheriff continued. “Ms. Rodriguez now faces enhanced penalties for the serial thefts.”

The defendant would be the third person arrested in the theft ring.

“Rodriguez would enter the stores, hide the merchandise either in a bag the defendant brought with her or in one stolen from the business, and leave with the stolen items,” according to the news release.

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The defendant allegedly focused much of her thefts on skin care, oral care and beauty products, according to a field case report obtained by WPEC.

She allegedly stole from several different Walgreens — but sometimes the same one, with a two-day gap between incidents, authorities allege.

Lourdes also has a number of failure to appear charges, according to Palm Beach County Jail records.

She was originally arrested in October.

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The Martin County public court docket shows a person identified as “Lourdes Rodriguez” charged with multiple counts of felony theft.

However, the charges announced by the state this week include felony charges. If convicted as charged, the felony convictions in the case could carry sentences of up to five years in prison.

“Working with our law enforcement partners and our Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange Task Force, we busted a massive organized retail theft ring with a third arrest this week,” said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in a statement. “Attention criminal organizations – in Florida, we have the tools and talent to investigate and destroy your criminal enterprise, and you will pay for your crimes.”