A woman who confessed to stealing more than 50 pairs of designer sunglasses and told police she has a “theft problem” was arrested Tuesday.
44-year-old Juli Mercer, of Winter Haven, has been charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property valued at over $4,000.
Winter Haven police said, Mercer went to the Family Eye Care Clinic, located at 410 E. Central Ave., last December and was observed trying on several pairs of sunglasses. Mercer exited the building several times during her visit to the Clinic. Subsequently, employees found more than 50 pairs of sunglasses missing.
On March 5, detectives discovered similar glasses were being sold on a Facebook Group called, “Fabulous Frugal Families Foraging Forum, Polk County Chapter,” by a user who was identified as Mercer’s adult daughter.
Mercer’s daughter told investigators that her mother had given her the glasses to sell and she was unaware they were stolen.
When detectives caught up the Juli, she confessed to stealing the sunglasses, said she didn’t know what to do with them, and had given them to her daughter. She also told investigators that she has a “theft problem” and could not keep herself from stealing.
Police said the designer sunglasses stolen included names like, Vera Bradley, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. The value of the sunglasses stolen was estimated to be $4,000.
