Click Here for ADA Accessible Format
Polk County Sheriff’s Phone# 863-298-6200
If in an emergency Dial 911
In February 2016, PCSO Organized Retail Crime detectives identified five suspects who have been working together to steal hundreds' of dollars worth of products from Polk County Lowes stores - two were arrested, and two are at large.
According to their affidavits, 53-year-old Paul Hendrix of 993 Bay Avenue in Eagle Lake was observed by Lowes loss prevention officers and undercover PCSO detectives removing barcode stickers off of high-priced merchandise and swapping it with barcode stickers from much lower-priced merchandise, and then checking out. Hendrix was seen working with co-defendant 39-year-old Michael Dewitt of 306 Lake Millsite Road in Bartow.
The two were observed stealing merchandise in this fashion on the following dates and locations:
On Monday, February 22, 2016, PCSO detectives apprehended Hendrix and Dewitt, and booked them both into the Polk County Jail on the following charges:
Hendrix:
Hendrix has been in the Polk County Jail on 15 prior occasions, and his criminal history includes arrests for theft, DUI, drug possession, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest. He's been to state prison twice.
Dewitt:
Dewitt has been in the Polk County Jail on 7 prior occasions, and his criminal history includes grand theft and drug possession. Some examples of the thefts include:
On February 4, 2016, Hendrix walked into the aforementioned Lowes, removed a barcode sticker from a breaker box priced at $29.98, and put it onto a breaker box priced at $220.00.
On February 15, 2016, Dewitt and Hendrix walked into the aforementioned Lowes, removed a barcode sticker from an item priced at $12.98 and placed it onto a repair kit priced at $64.98. They also replaced the barcode of a jump starter valued at $113.00 with a barcode for $49.98, and replaced barcodes on three different pieces of lumber priced at $33.46 each, with barcodes for lumber priced at $9.87 each.
On February 22, 2016, Hendrix replaced the barcodes on amp breakers worth over $300.00 with barcodes on amp breakers worth approximately $50.00.
The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are pending against both suspects.