A homeless Leesburg man was arrested Saturday afternoon at the Walmart store on Citrus Boulevard.
A loss prevention worker at the store had observed 33-year-old Jeremy Scott Hollins putting several baseball cards into a backpack and then walk past all checkout points before being stopped by loss prevention employees and being detained in their office until a Leesburg police officer arrived to take over the case.
Hollins gave the police a false name. While searching Hollins the officer found cards in Hollins’ backpack which had his correct name. A records check showed that Hollins had an arrest warrant pending from Marion County. The officer found 71 packs of baseball cards in the backpack as well as a homemade black pipe with drug residue around the top. The officer also found a baggie containing cocaine in Hollins’ hat. Hollins told the officer that the cocaine was not his and he did not know where it came, from according to the arrest report. The stolen merchandise totaled $830.
After being placed under arrest, Hollins was escorted to the officer’s patrol car. Hollins asked if he could adjust his shoes and the officer told him that he could do so when they got to the car which was only 20 yards away. Hollins pulled away from the officer and had to be restrained on the ground. A Lake County deputy was nearby and helped the Leesburg officer get Hollins to the patrol car where they found that Hollins had a another baggie in his socks that contained cocaine.
Hollins was charged with felony retail theft, giving false identification to a LEO, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $6,000 on the Leesburg charges and no bond was set on the Marion County warrant.
