An observant off-duty CCSO deputy helped lead detectives to a man they say stole a purse from a Publix employee who came to work to help out on her day off.James P. Whelan, 63, 4190 7th Ave. N.W., Golden Gate Estates, was arrested and charged with grand theft.
Whelan is charged with stealing Victoria Esquivel’s purse from Publix at 2450 Vanderbilt Beach Road on July 27. Esquivel, 26, was volunteering her time on her day off by hanging signs in the entryway of the store around 8 a.m., when deputies say Whelan stole her purse from a shopping cart next to her, according to arrest reports. The purse contained cash, credit cards, car keys, and Esquivel's eyeglasses, among other items, reports said.
Store security video shows Whelan taking Esquivel’s black purse from the cart, reports said.
Cpl. Richard Stoneson, who works out of the CCSO substation in North Naples, told deputies he was shopping while off duty at the Publix store at Pebblebrook Plaza on Aug. 10. While he was in the store Stoneson spotted a man who looked like the suspect in the store security photos that were in a bulletin recently posted by CCSO about the theft of Esquivel’s purse, reports said.
Stoneson obtained the license plate number on the man’s vehicle. Further investigation by deputies found the vehicle was owned by Whelan's wife, reports said.
Esquivel and other store employees identified Whelan from a photo lineup as the man shown in the store security video taking Esquivel's purse and as a customer whom they had waited on for two years, reports said.
Deputies located Whelan at his residence Friday, where they arrested him on the felony charge, reports said.
Here are the store security images of the suspect from the CCSO bulletin:
