A quick response by Leesburg police officers resulted in the felony arrest of a suspected shoplifter.
Officers were dispatched Saturday afternoon to the Family Dollar store on North 14th Street when employees called 911 to report a shoplifting offense. Officers were given a description of a man and woman who had just left the store and were walking in the direction of the Leesburg Pet Center. One officer was able to detain the man while the woman attempted to walk away until she was stopped by another officer.
A search of 30-year-old Laura Louise Lockhart revealed that she had several items on her person that had been taken from the store. The store clerk identified Lockhart as the woman who stole the items, valued at $61.85. The officer was provided a surveillance video of the incident. Lockhart has three prior convictions for petit theft, according to the arrest report. She was charged with a third degree felony, petit theft with two or more theft convictions and booked at the Lake County. She was released after posting $2,000 bond.
