A 29-year-old Brandon man has been taken into custody and charged with stealing roughly $800 in lottery tickets from a convenience store in south Lakeland. David Martinez Santiesteban brought himself up to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) on September 5 after a series of thefts that began in late August.
The PCSO reported four separate thefts of lottery tickets at the business on August 24, 28, 29, and 30. The stolen tickets had a total value of $785. In reaction to the frequent incidents, the store established new precautions to avoid future thefts, which were effective.
Related posts
On September 3, the suspect tried another theft but was unable to leave with any tickets.
Detectives Arcila and Evans investigated the case and identified Santiesteban as the suspect, resulting in an arrest warrant. Santiesteban reportedly went to the PCSO’s Southwest District Office and confessed to his crimes.
Santiesteban is facing many accusations, including four counts of burglary, four counts of petty theft, and one attempted burglary. Due to his cross-county trip, the burglary charges have escalated by one level.
