LAKELAND, Florida — A 42-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing two carts of groceries within 15 minutes from a Publix store, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies apprehended Andrew Sylvester outside the store with unpaid items valued at $243.92.
Deputies were called to the Publix store at 5185 US 98 South around 6:20 p.m. for a retail theft in progress. Upon arrival, they found Sylvester with a shopping cart full of groceries he had not paid for. A store employee informed deputies that Sylvester had taken another cart of items, valued at $206.10, just ten minutes earlier. The total value of the stolen goods amounted to $450.02…