Bunnell, FL - The Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) says four suspects—including one already in custody—were seen stealing several items from a Catholic church's thrift store.
Deputies were notified of the larceny that took place at St. Mary's Thrift Store in Bunnell on Wednesday (February 17th) after employees noticed that their green wagon, which is typically used to help elderly members transport donated items to and from their vehicles, was missing.
After reviewing surveillance footage, staff discovered a white female stealing several items from the store, including the wagon, before loading them into a red Ford Focus.
Detectives with FCSO eventually reviewd the footage themselves and began to canvas the area for possible suspects. That same day, investigators discovered a red Ford Focus in the Old Dixie Community Park, occupied by a white female who matched the description of the woman seen in the surveillance footage. That's when deputies made contact with 46-year-old Angelia Newsome.
Once deputies made contact with Newsome, she confessed that she stole items from the thrift store—including the wagon—thinking that it was ok since she donated to the thrift store in the past.
Following Newsome's arrest, detectives recovered over 25 items that were taken from the church over the past month and returned them to the thrift store. Newsome was ultimately charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and petty theft, resulting in a $2,000 bond. Booking data from the Flagler County Jail indicates that Newsome has since bonded out.
“Our detectives did a great job in locating this suspect and returning the stolen property,“ Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We are continuing to investigate the other thefts and asking the community to contact us if they recognize this vehicle or these suspects.”
Investigators are seeking help from the public in identifying a vehicle and three other individuals involved in separate thefts from St. Mary's Thrift Store. Deputies added that Newsome's arrest and the three other individuals do not appear to be related in anyway.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the FCSO at 386-313-4911 and mention case number 2021-15263 or email TIPS@flaglersheriff.com. You can
also remain anonymous by calling Crimestoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
