BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – An Orlando woman and her accomplice have been arrested after a theft caper ended with the woman pepper-spraying two deputies in Hernando County.
On Wednesday, a Hernando County Sheriff’s deputy was inside the Walmart store located at 13300 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville, taking a report of a theft that occurred the previous day when he was alerted that the suspects had returned to the store.
During the theft on Tuesday, the two suspects stole a wallet from the victim’s purse while shopping in the store. The suspects then used the victim’s credit cards to make over $2,000 in fraudulent purchases.
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The deputy observed the two suspects via live video from the asset protection office. The deputy observed as one of the suspects distracted an elderly woman as the second suspect reached into a woman’s purse that was in her shopping cart and removed her wallet.
The deputy made contact with the two suspects, who were still inside the store.
When confronted by the deputy, one of the suspects, later identified as Keyisha Henderson, 48, reached into her purse and discharged a can of pepper spray toward the deputy.
Henderson then proceeded to flee the area on foot as the deputy was not immediately able to pursue the suspect due to having a reaction to the pepper spray. The second suspect, later identified as Kierra Tolliver, 33, was detained by Walmart asset protection.
Another deputy on the scene was able to locate Henderson as she attempted to exit the store. Henderson once again discharged her pepper spray in the direction of the deputy.
The deputy pulled out his taser, and Henderson dropped the can of pepper spray and was taken into custody without further incident. Both deputies were able to recover from their exposure to the pepper spray.
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Deputies say that Henderson’s criminal history showed she has been convicted of 39 felony offenses (mainly fraud-related), incarcerated five times, and has an active warrant out of St. Lucie County for criminal use of personal identification information.
Additionally, Henderson has also been arrested eight times for failure to appear.
Henderson was arrested on charges of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, two counts of Petit Theft, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, two counts of Battery on Law Enforcement Officer, and two counts of Resisting an Officer with Violence.
Henderson was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center where she’s being held in lieu of an $82,000 bond on the Hernando County charges. A hold was subsequently placed on her St. Lucie County warrant.
Tolliver was charged with two counts of Petit Theft and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, a felony.
She was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center where her bond was set at $7,000.
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