Leesburg woman jailed for swapping barcodes on bedding at Target

A Leesburg woman was arrested Tuesday for a theft earlier this year in which Target employees noticed she swapped barcodes on bedding.

On the evening of Jan. 11, 52-year-old Malgorzata Miskowicz entered Target, located at 716 N. U.S. Hwy. 27/441, and went to the bedding section, according to an amended affidavit of probable. She selected a Casaluna comforter valued at $129.99 and switched the barcode with a cheaper bedding item worth $30, the report said. 

Miskowicz then placed the cheaper item back on the shelf and selected some additional items before proceeding to self-checkout. She scanned the items in her cart, including the swapped barcode, and payed for the items she scanned before leaving the store, the affidavit said. 

The Lady Lake Target Asset Protection Team Leader advised an officer with the Lady Lake Police Department that she was able to positively identify Miskowicz after working with her Regional Asset Protection Team based on additional thefts she committed at the Mount Dora Target, located at 17450 U.S. Hwy 441, the affidavit said. 

During the theft at the Mount Dora Target, they obtained Miskowicz’s vehicle tag from the Ford Mustang she left in. She was the registered owner and matched the images of the suspect in both the Lady Lake and Mounty Dora Target thefts, the report said. 

Miskowicz was seen on surveillance video swapping the barcode on the bedding items, thus depriving Target of the $99.99 difference she actually paid for the item she left the store with. Additionally, a search of her criminal history revealed she had four prior theft convictions from Nov. 2008, Nov. 2007, Nov. 1998 and Sept. 1996, the affidavit said. 

The native of Poland was ultimately arrested Tuesday morning on charge of felony petit theft by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. She was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,500 bond.