Florida Crime Files: 4 women nabbed in alleged $5,000 Stanley cup heist

Four Florida women were arrested after they stole 24 Stanley cups and other items from retail stores, five Central Florida fire stations were hit by burglars while firefighters were on shift, and a Florida grandmother is accused of leaving her 2-year-old granddaughter inside a hot car while she shopped at Publix: Here's FOX 35's Florida Crime Files.

4 Florida women nabbed for stealing 24 Stanley cups, lobster, champagne and more during heist: deputies

Four women found themselves behind bars after their "expensive taste" led them to steal more than a dozen Stanley cups and several costly food products, according to deputies. 

Authorities said the thefts happened on Saturday at two Winn-Dixie stores and two Ace Hardware stores in Nassau County – located in northern Florida near Jacksonville. 

The women, identified as Stacy Sullivan, Kaneki Hickson, Montavia Sullivan and Tracy Sullivan, stole an estimated $5,000 in merchandise, deputies said.

Deputies said they first responded to a theft at an Ace Hardware store located on Miner Road in Yulee after store employees said four suspects came into the store and stole 24 Stanley cups by hiding them under their shirts and in their bags. The group then left in a silver Chevy Malibu.

An off-duty lieutenant, who heard an alert on their radio to be on the lookout for the suspect's car, found the vehicle at the intersection of Arrigo Boulevard and State Road 200.

The suspects pulled into a Winn-Dixie parking lot nearby and were taken into custody. Investigators later learned the group were the suspects in the four store thefts.

Inside their vehicle, deputies uncovered multiple Stanley cups and lobster tail, steak, crab meat and other food products from Winn-Dixie, along with an array of champagne, deputies said. 

They were arrested and booked into the Nassau County jail on charges of felony grand theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft. 

5 Central Florida fire stations hit by burglars while firefighters are on shift

Burglars are targeting firefighters in Central Florida. According to officials, criminals are breaking into firefighter’s cars while they are on shift.

"It’s unconscionable, it’s criminal and it’s preying on folks that are literally taking an oath and willing to give their life to help serve the community," John Westmoreland of Orange County Fire Rescue said. "The thought of their vehicles being broken into it’s sickening, and it’s maddening."

Three fire stations in Orange County were targeted between June 30 and July 1: OCFRD Station 34 (4000 Winter Garden Vineland Road), OCFRD Station 44 (14230 Reams Road), and OCFRD Station 33 (1700 S. Apopka Vineland Road).

According to the Seminole County Fire Department, two of their stations (Stations 12 & 14) were hit on July 1.

"These crimes have been happening after midnight," Westmoreland said. "There’s some indication that we’ve had some false calls and then the break-ins occurring afterwards."

It’s a trend nationwide, according to Westmoreland. Over the last six months, a rash of similar incidents have been reported in Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, and Colorado.

Last year, FOX 35 reported half a dozen other instances of car burglaries targeting firefighters again in Orange and Seminole counties. That was when Seminole County firefighter John Baker had a gun stolen from his truck.

Now, stations in Seminole and Orange counties are taking steps to improve or reinforce security measures.

Most fire stations do have security cameras. There is no word yet on whether any of the burglaries were caught on camera.

FOX 35 was told no guns were reported stolen from the Seminole County stations. We're still waiting to hear back from Orange County regarding the same question. 

Florida grandma arrested for leaving 2-year-old in hot car while she shopped in Publix: deputies

A Florida grandmother was taken to jail after she left her 2-year-old granddaughter inside a hot car for about 16 minutes while she shopped at a Publix grocery store, according to deputies.

The Volusia Sheriff's Office said the incident happened Tuesday afternoon at the Publix located on Roscommon Drive in Ormond Beach.

At around 3 p.m., store management spotted a toddler inside an unlocked car, parked directly in the sun with the windows cracked, and immediately took the lethargic child inside the store to cool off, authorities said. 

The temperature at the time was 91 degrees, with a heat index of 101 degrees, officials said. Despite the sizzling heat, the child was reportedly in good health.

Deputies said the child's grandmother, Elena Grady, 63, of Longwood, eventually came and took custody of the child. She was later arrested on a charge of child neglect, deputies said.

 She was released overnight after posting a $3,000 bond. 

"Let's avoid tragedy and remember NOT to leave children, pets, or vulnerable adults in a hot vehicle even if it's only supposed to be a few minutes," the sherrif's office said in a Facebook post.