Courtesy: Winter Haven Police Department
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A pair of Winter Haven food truck owners were arrested after police say they used a woman's debit card after she accidentally dropped it at a gas station, making more than $1,400 in purchases during a shopping spree.
According to the Winter Haven Police Department, Marlon Cummings, 47, and Tamika Cummings, 44, were arrested Friday and both face felony charges of grand theft and possessing the identification of another person without consent. They are the owners of Island Jerk Caribbean food truck.
Eagle Lake debit card theft
The backstory:
According to investigators, the victim used her debit card at a RaceTrac gas station on U.S. 17 in Eagle Lake on July 10.
The woman mistakenly dropped the card at the gas station and did not realize it was missing until the following day, when she noticed unauthorized transactions and canceled the card.
Surveillance video from the gas station showed a silver Ford pickup truck towing the Island Jerk Caribbean food truck pulling into the station on July 10, according to WHPD.
Police say the truck used the same set of gas pumps where the victim had been before losing the card.
Investigators said the debit card was then used to purchase $111.45 in fuel for the truck.
Winter Haven shopping spree
By the numbers:
The card was used in multiple transactions throughout Winter Haven on July 10 and July 11, according to police.
The purchases included transactions at:
- Walmart
- Wawa
- Salem Fresh Eats
- Farm Fresh Market
- Tractor Supply
- Rainbow
The transactions totaled $1,368.52, investigators said.
Surveillance video from multiple businesses showed both Marlon and Tamika Cummings using the victim's debit card at various locations, according to WHPD.
Food truck owners arrested
Dig deeper:
Investigators eventually located the Island Jerk Caribbean food truck parked at a storage facility on Lucerne Park Road.
The property's manager was shown images taken from surveillance video and was able to identify the owners as Marlon and Tamika Cummings, investigators said.
Detectives located the couple around 11 a.m. Friday and took them into custody.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Winter Haven Police Department.