Man Charged With Trying To Rob Woman At Wal-Mart

SEBRING A suspect was taken into custody early Friday morning after allegedly trying to snatch a woman's purse in the parking lot of the local Wal-Mart Super Store.

Timothy James Stone, 28, was charged with robbery by sudden snatching, battery and resisting an officer without violence. He remained in jail Friday in lieu of a $500 bond.

Officers with the Sebring Police Department were dispatched to the area store, located at 3525 U.S. 27 N., due to a robbery in progress. Witnesses told law enforcement they saw a male, later identified as Stone, approach a female in the parking lot and grabbed her pocketbook, according to the arrest report.

A struggle reportedly ensued between the two individuals, with Stone allegedly hitting the victim in the face with his fist before running south through the parking lot toward Grand Prix Drive.

Another witness, a Wal-Mart employee, told police he saw Stone struggle with the female in the parking lot while he was trying to take her purse. The employee also alleged that the suspect hit the victim in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

Officers searched along a fence line behind a house in the 1000 block of Melody Lane for Stone. There was movement on the opposite side of the fence, but no one could be seen at that time, the report stated.

Additional officers were called in to search the area, including a K-9 unit from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. A red and black baseball cap was found near the fence line and the dogs started a scent tract from where the cap was found. It led to the point at the fence area where motion was previously heard.

A voice then said, "I am homeless, I just sleep here." Officers reportedly saw Stone lying on the ground underneath some plants and brush. He was ordered to come out and show his hands, but did not comply after several requests. A patrol K-9 was deployed to subdue Stone, who was then handcuffed and detained.

Stone reportedly told officers he was "homeless, hungry and desperate" in response to their question about what had happened. He said he went to Wal-Mart, saw the woman in the parking lot and went up to her to ask for directions.

The subject then told police he asked for a few dollars, but the victim told him, "No." Stone said he then "snapped" and intentionally grabbed her pocketbook, the report stated. The woman started to struggle and the two began pulling the pocketbook back and forth, according to Stone.

He then reportedly dropped the pocketbook and ran away from the area, but denied hitting the woman at any time during the incident.

The victim told police that Stone did, in fact, hit her in the face with his fist during the struggle, which caused her to fall backward onto the ground. She complained of pain in her right jaw, but declined medical treatment from EMS. Later, she reportedly positively identified Stone as the person who tried to take her purse and struck her.

SPD Officer Sean Bueford made the arrest.