Cop's Wife Accused of Stealing Toys From Tot

LAKELAND, FL – A 42-year-old Polk County woman faces burglary and petty theft charges after deputies say she went onto a family’s porch and swiped two packages meant for a 2-year-old girl’s Christmas.

The case in question is making national headlines because the accused thief happens to be a cop’s wife. The victims are also reportedly a law enforcement family and happened to have a surveillance camera rolling at the time of the crime.

The incident unfolded in Lakeland on Dec. 4 when the victim was home alone with her daughter. The woman happened to notice a shadow pass by a window at the front of her home, an arrest report stated. The woman ran to her bedroom and took a look at her video surveillance system. On camera, she noticed another woman walking away with two brown packages. After reviewing her tapes, she learned that USPS delivered two packages to her door earlier that day.

The victim called on the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for help and also took to Facebook for help in identifying the thief, the report noted. On Facebook, “the victim received numerous messages indicating the suspect is Dana Hagar,” the report said.

See Also:

• 11-Foot Gator Eats Burglar
• ‘Drinker’s Guide to Driving’ Author Charged With DUI

Several people who witnessed the act or recognized the woman in the victim’s Facebook post confirmed her identity for the sheriff’s office, the report noted.

When deputies caught up with Hagar, she admitted to taking two packages from the home, the report said. “The suspect also admitted she started feeling bad about taking the items so she returned them” on Dec. 7, the report noted.

Hagar, however, still had the original boxes, one of which still had the shipping label on it. The other had the label partially removed because the woman feared her husband might see it, the report added.

Hagar was brought into custody on unarmed burglary and petty theft charges. The arrest report noted she was on probation for a shoplifting incident that occurred earlier this year.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t said what agency Hagar’s husband works, but Sheriff Grady Judd has commented on the case.

“Here’s a law enforcement officer’s wife that’s going to the next street over and stealing off the porch of another law enforcement officer’s wife. Huh? You kidding me,” Judd was quoted by the Bradenton Herald as saying.

As for the packages, they contained about $30 in toys meant for the 2-year-old, the report said.

Booking photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office