on April 25th 2024 a deputy was dispatched to a Publix after a woman's money order totaling $1,100 was stolen the woman claimed she put the money order down while paying for groceries and forgot about it when she returned the envelope containing the money was gone upon reviewing the store's cameras with the manager they saw a homeless woman named Sarah had stolen the money order the deputies are familiar with Sarah and knew the general area where she lived you know Sarah I don't who's that she this area she's wanders this area quite often okay she wandered off of this lady's ,000 and and rent money in a money order she picked it up somebody offered it to her off the register she put in her purse um wait wait wait wait okay time out out so so I I didn't make all right so so was there was there a communication error is that what occurred then or we so what it looks like cuz I have to prove intent if it was offered to her and she doesn't know any better gotta that that's what we that's where we stand so what it sounds like is from what my cashier says is uh a customer said oh Superman is this yours and the customer said oh yeah and she took it and she put it in her place okay all right it's your money order okay how do money orders work it's a check correct it issues a check it's okay can that check be cancelled is that now without the one number it's like a cash it's a cash transaction and without the actual phal printing out all right um okay you your driver's license and there's no way for the system to tell you what the money order was or anything like that no it doesn't it doesn't give any full information it just shows value okay only cuz uh and the only the only right side I thought maybe if you guys recognized her um I want to say I might have had a trespass out of here I know maybe a while ago I haven't seen her in a while I wasn't even sure that she even came in here but I I started asking hey do you recognize this customer like oh that's that's Sarah that's the that's the homeless lady that threw out of here but she's got the little short boyfriend and Canal AC but anyway okay so have you dealt with her she's homeless uh I want to say we have she's redhaired um yeah what does she want okay so here no no no so here's what happened this lady did a money order I guess you left it at the at the cash register correct ex me you left it at the register by accident I don't know what happened you know I is down I put it down there was there was it was with me at the register I put my groceries on I didn't have it in my hand as I was putting groceries on but at one point I did sit the envelope down okay okay so then Sarah comes up next to line and then red the cashier goes oh by the way is this yours s's like oh yeah I don't know so do we know where she stays no I I know that she used to stay right out here somewh by the bus stop let go over there 4 days later the deputies Tracked Down Sarah and her boyfriend to their makeshift house in some trees and bushes where Sarah huh where Sarah over down there where go walk go walk down to the next you'll see not the next one but almost down a little further all the trash is you'll see where somebody's walking in it's it's really boring it ain't like this stay right there do not move how you doing where's Sarah Q walk back I'm right here at 1012 for Sarah do me a favor yeah do you have any weapons on you no okay drop the uh drop the the container stand up okay Rush listen if you ask some any questions I'm going to think that you're trying to do you're trying to resist me okay just follow my instructions you're not under arrest okay but you need to follow my instructions I'm not here for any other reason I got I'm doing something I'm busy I'm investigating something right now okay I need to speak to her I don't know what you're doing here I don't know what's going on I don't know if you have any weapons I would like to keep it kosher but I need you to follow my instructions okay you have actually do me a favor go ahead and put your hands behind your head now okay turn around do not move you hear me yeah I'm not moving do not move you have to do them backwards well you're the one making it making it difficult but I'm going to try to move I know I'm going to try to adjust I'm going to try to adjust him all right okay app I'm going to take I'm going to take this knife away from you okay you're fine that's the reason why I'm placing your handcuff okay oh well that's fine told me to take it off I would have taken it off I'm going to switch to main Channel I'm on me okay sweetheart I'm not doing listen I know my rights better all right listen to me I'm not I don't want you know what I mean look at how we're talking all right yeah all right so do you have anything other than this do you have any that is it okay all right do me a favor take a step back here so we don't fall okay all right do me a favor hold on what's that what is this all my money my IDs all right big do me a favor can you have a seat right here next to this uh tree right here I I'll help you down okay you want me to grab a chair yeah yeah you know yeah we'll get you a chair man sorry I appreciate that why easier for you Sarah do me a favor do not look inside that purse for me I want a cigarette no no no cigarettes right now we'll get you one here in a second okay put your legs forward so that you don't Sarah step out for me yes sir Sarah yes SAR do me a favor oh yes bring your purse up man how you doing what's going on how you been all right I could be better I up all right Sarah is that you were looking in that other purse is that the only purse you have all right well go over here with me Sarah you need help thank you so much you have your driver's license waiting no do me a favor walk walk with the deputy quo hey Serge you want to bring them up here so we're all up here yeah I want my yeah come [Music] on all right Sarah do me a favor have a seat right here do you have any idea on you no I did I left it on I was going to go buy glasses and I left it yeah please have a seat sir um I actually I want you away from her I need to speak to her by herself I I came I came on your upon your information because of something that occurred at last Wednesday do you know what I'm talking about last Wednesday when you were shopping up publ okay okay were you a Publix last Wednesday yeah okay you were at Publix uhhuh okay so anything significant anything out of the ordinary that happened at Publix yeah of course what I found something what did you find uh a money order I found a money order what what what what money order did you find it was blank money order it was on the floor I didn't know what it was it was an envelope until I got home and I saw it okay you said you found him on the floor well I yeah I found it in public okay and so what did you do with them I cashed it I I mean it was a blank money order how much was it 11,100 okay and you said you found these money orders right no I found it would it surprise you if I told you that I knew that the that someone handed it to you yes somebody handed it to me who handed it to you I don't know a lady honestly I don't know are you sure was just a lady yes yes 100% was it a lady that works in Publix or was it a stranger a stranger she was behind me Aline she behind line yeah yeah but I think with the baby okay but what did you do what what how did she hand it to you what did she give you uh it was just in the envelope and she goes excuse me is this yours and I'm like not thinking was razzled I said yeah of course and I put it in my purse I didn't even look at it okay and how much were the money ERS for 1,100 how many money money ERS were in there oh three what were the total values 700 I'm saying okay but individually were they individual values what were they 551 okay and you and what did you do when you when you dis when you when you it was handed to you you knew that it wasn't yours did you not no not really not because I D and I had enough my purse so no not really at all okay but but you okay but you knew that it wasn't yours no no not no so when did you find out that it wasn't yours until when I got here honestly back here back to my house would it surprise you if I told you that you didn't come directly over here yes I did Sir yeah yes so you're telling me okay so if I told you that I have footage of you at the public liquor stor oh yeah well yeah yeah Sarah that's why I'm asking oh s you like the closet yes yes yes so and when you when you were at the public sck store uhhuh did you not notice that there was money there was money ERS in that envelope tell you the truth I can't recall I really can't recall Sarah I I have you on video looking at looking in the envelope oh okay okay okay before you go any further uh my name is Sergeant Valencia sorry to interrupt uh real quick I'm going to show you a photo this individual might resemble somebody it could be could be not you uh looking at the photo I would like you to to see if this is you is that you yes correct right corre so this is you wearing the red shirt with the glasses yes okay yeah so you knew when you went to the liquor store that those weren't yours the lady came back and she was looking for money orders okay you do know that you you committed a theft do you not well I they I kind of look quick but I didn't put two honestly I didn't put two and two together S I got here and my situation you know I I well sorry it would have been in your best interest to return it to Publix because that lady came back looking for her money orders okay you knowing that it was not yours okay kept them you knew what it was and then you used them you cash them that's a theft okay all right let me finish doing my thing here so what else happened then what did you spend the money do you have it do you have the uh the other parts of the of the um money ERS okay is there anything that I fa to ask you or you would like to add no it's just you're you're right but not until I got blessed you know CU we're having such a hard time you know I'm going to ask you to cooperate with me okay I want to make this as painless and as easy as possible okay do you have in your bag the other half the other where did you catch the where did you cash that's a store and you don't have any of that money left what you do with it well 1100 you you spent over the weekend if you listen if you have the money orders yeah do you have the money orders no you spent it all of it what you do with it bought food bought clothing um you stupid stuff okay Sarah I'm going to take you to jail but we're going to sit in the back of my car I'm going to make it as comfortable as I can for you okay can you do me a favor can I you can leave your stuff with him if you want to I just need you to take I put my BR no I just Sor we're not going down there again I'm we're not going to do that again okay I don't know what's down there okay this is what I want you to do is there anything so thirsty okay I'll get you water I'll get you water now I really have to pee to I mean I'm I'm trying all this truth and just woke up l so I know I know okay we we like I said that sooner the better okay all right I'm not going to go down in the woods cuz you got to pee and I'm not going to go down in the woods cuz you got to get a bra you're find the way you are you're going to be in my custody and you're going to be proud nobody's going to see you and all stuff all right so this stuff can it stay with him okay get yeah give him the but the thing is have to sit down and wait is that okay yeah I'm going to all right listen to me I don't want to give you put your hands like this Sarah can you turn your hand or no no no don't do it don't do it don't do it I got you I got you fun the jail soon as I get in be uh I'll let you know when we get to uh turn your hand like this all right I want I want you comfortable okay I want you comfortable so we're not having any issues and they don't hurt on you okay what what is he I'll pull it there you go you see that want that one's tight what was that yeah don't panic on me honey all right just relax all right see that okay I adjusted that okay okay hey Q I'm going to put her in the back of your car okay cuz I got to clear with m the Taurus all right so I'm going to put it in the back of your car okay what's on honey this no no honey no okay David I love you all right all right honey go ahead and listen let me go first and then you'll go after me okay can you put your foot over there you go right there hold on hold on all right bring your other foot to this side I got you okay now bring this one over here I got a cigarette no honey we can't allow you to that go ahead and bring your foot over there you go all right I got you there you go bring the other one thank you all right now walk back over here for me all right hold on all right goad get in you can't put them in the front can you no not yet okay give me one second all right leave back point and we'll get you some AC okay some water I will I have water in my car actually I bring a cooler to work now that so high okay Sarah was taken to jail and charged with one count of Grand Theft over $750 and three counts of forgery altered money order