A homeless woman in Leesburg has been arrested on burglary charges after using a putty knife to break into the security office at Lake Square Mall.
An officer responded to the security office of Lake Square Mall, located at 10401 U.S. Hwy. 441, regarding a theft on the morning of April 11, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The officer arrived and met with the security chief and 27-year-old Miriam Joncard in the security office. Upon seeing the officer, Joncard made the spontaneous utterance that she was “sorry” and that she “took property” that was not hers, the report said.
The security officer explained that Joncard entered the mall’s security office and stole a security bicycle. He was unsure how she got into the office as it requires a code to unlock the door. Several security officers were able to pursue Joncard for a short distance before she abandoned the bicycle and fled on foot. She was apprehended a short time later and escorted back to the security office where law enforcement was contacted, the report said.
The bicycle was described as a black and green Schwinn Sidewinder with an estimated value of $100. It was recovered and returned to security personnel, the report said.
The officer subsequently placed Joncard under arrest and searched her pockets for contraband. He found a small plastic or metal putty knife which appeared to be able to open the latch on the security office door. When asked about this, Joncard had no reasoning for having the item on her person, the report said.
Additionally, the officer used the putty knife to try to open the security door. He was able to slide the latch to the open position and open the locked door. This verified that the putty knife could be used to get into the security office, the report said.
Joncard was ultimately charged with burglary of an occupied structure (forced entry), petit theft (bicycle – less than $750) and burglary tools (possession). The native of Haiti was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $8,500.
