CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A woman accused of stealing more than $500 worth of merchandise from a Cape Coral Target was arrested after jumping into a canal to evade police.
Watch as Cape Coral officers are sent on a chase that ends in a canal:
Cape Coral Police officers were called to the Target off Pine Island Road on Monday after they say the woman tried to steal merchandise. According to police, this wasn't her first theft incident.
When loss prevention personnel approached her, she took off in her car but left her wallet behind at the store.
Officers located the suspect in a nearby neighborhood. She initially admitted to being at the store before suddenly fleeing again.
Mercedes Simonds, with Cape Coral Police Public Affairs, says thanks to people who live in the neighborhood, officers were able to quickly locate the woman.
"That is the best part of having such a supportive community that we have people who are willing to help," Simonds said. "They'll take videos, they'll let us know what's going on and that is the most helpful thing when we're dealing with situations like this."
Police say the woman refused to cooperate after being found in a nearby canal, prompting an officer to enter the water to apprehend her.
"You're going to get eaten by gators," an officer was caught yelling on the body camera video.
The woman is now facing two counts of petit theft from Walmart and Target, and one count of resisting without violence.
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