Two Arrested for Stealing Nike Sneakers from Ocala Thrift Store
OCALA, Fla. – Two Ocala residents, Danny Lee Fletcher, 44, and Carla Ruth Pilkons, 42, were arrested over the weekend after allegedly stealing Nike sneakers from The Lotus House, a local thrift store located at 3420 NE Jacksonville Road.
According to a report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), deputies responded to the store on Sunday, September 7, after a theft occurred that afternoon. Surveillance footage provided by the store’s owner showed Fletcher and Pilkons entering around 2:10 p.m., grabbing separate pairs of Nike sneakers from a shelf, removing their own shoes, and walking out wearing the stolen ones.
Each pair of sneakers was valued at $100.
The male suspect, Fletcher, was identified wearing a blue T-shirt reading “I just wet my pants” and camo shorts, while Pilkons wore a stars-and-stripes tank top with blue jeans.
After the store posted photos of the suspects on social media, several community members identified Fletcher and Pilkons. They were later spotted riding bicycles near the 4700 block of NW 44th Avenue, still wearing the same clothes and sneakers from the incident.
An MCSO sergeant detained both suspects. After being read their Miranda rights, both Fletcher and Pilkons admitted to the theft, according to the report.
A criminal history check revealed that Fletcher has four prior theft convictions, including two in Marion County (2020) and two in Alachua County (2021). Pilkons was previously convicted of theft in Marion County in 2018.
Fletcher was charged with felony petit theft (third or subsequent offense) and Pilkons with misdemeanor petit theft. Both were booked into the Marion County Jail, where they remain in custody.
As of now, no court date has been scheduled.
