POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Two individuals attempting a brazen theft from a Lakeland Tractor Supply store found themselves in hot water after their getaway plan went awry. 30-year-old James Schaller of Fort McCoy and 35-year-old Kelsey Ausley of Orange Lake were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office following the attempted heist on Thursday, February 20th.
According to investigators, the duo’s ill-fated scheme unfolded around 9:30 a.m. at the Tractor Supply store located at 6945 US 98 North in Lakeland.
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Store security observed Schaller filling a shopping cart with merchandise before pushing it to the back of the store and leaving the property. He then returned with Ausley in a U-Haul truck, which they parked directly outside the store’s emergency exit with the back door open.
The pair proceeded to enter the store and fill another shopping cart with items, bringing the total value of their intended loot to over $2,700.
However, their plan hit a snag when the store manager followed them out of the store. Schaller and Ausley fled the scene in the U-Haul, leaving the stolen merchandise behind.
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Polk County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area and quickly located the U-Haul truck, taking Schaller and Ausley into custody.
It was discovered that Schaller had an active warrant out of Volusia County for burglary and a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple theft convictions.
Both Schaller and Ausley were booked into the Polk County Jail on a range of charges, including:
- Coordinated Retail Theft
- Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft
- Grand Theft
- Possession of Methamphetamine
- Loitering and Prowling
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
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