PBC teens and young adults among 15 taken into custody in Wawa snack theft spree in Davenport

A group of young vacationers, many from Palm Beach County, converted a Wawa snack run into a coordinated theft spree, resulting in 15 arrests.

Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said a dozen adults and three juveniles were detained Friday at the Wawa on Old Lake Wilson Road in Davenport after employees reported a group taking food and drinks and ingesting some of the things inside.

Investigators claim the suspects arrived at the gas station in a BMW, a Tesla, and a Honda Accord and rotated in and out of the store for more than 15 minutes, concealing items such as drinks, chips, and ramen noodles before consuming part of the stolen muchies.

Store employees informed deputies after noticing suspicious activity and suspected concerted tactics to hide clerks’ views while thefts took place. According to deputies, surveillance video corroborated the action.

Sheriff Grady Judd described the incident as a clear example of visiting suspects who “fooled around and found out”, adding that the gang “grabbed what they wanted and consumed it without paying for it”.

Investigators say the total value of stolen and consumed items was around $40.

Deputies say all of the suspects admitted to the thefts. Many of those detained are from Palm Beach County areas such as Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Lantana, and Palm Beach, as well as others from throughout Florida.

Angel Quintero, 19, Winter Springs, FL
Genaiya Saintira, 18, Hollywood, FL
Valencia Saul, 19, Lantana, FL
Pervaysia Laster, 20, Boynton Beach, FL
Shenia Smith, 19, Parkland, FL
Lillian Brown, 19, Hollywood, FL
Sterllin Hyppolite, 18, Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Davends Clerge, 21, Boynton Beach, FL
Garvens Clerge, 18, Boynton Beach, FL
Schneider Joseph, 22, Lantana, FL
Richemond Seraphin, 21, Lantana, FL
William Butler, 18, Lake Worth, FL
Lorendy Sanon, 17, Boynton Beach, FL
Berlinda Saul, 17, Lake Worth, FL
Janeen Gonzalez, 17, Palm Beach, FL

A 16th suspect, unrelated to the theft ring, was also arrested after deputies claimed he continually interfered with the investigation and defied directions to stay aside. He was identified as Jayden Murphy and charged under Florida’s “Halo Law”, which mandates a 25-foot buffer zone around active emergency scenes.

Adults were placed into the Polk County Jail, and minors were sent to a juvenile evaluation centre.