Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities took Carol Craig Sweat, 60, into custody yesterday, accusing her of pilfering plants, cleaning products, and a door lock from a Home Depot location.

On October 23, around 4:33 p.m., a Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) at Home Depot on 7107 NW 4th Boulevard observed a woman selecting live plants from an exterior display and transferring them to a shopping cart. The officer assumed she would proceed inside to purchase them. However, after a brief wait, he returned outside to find her cart empty.

The LPO then observed the woman choose a fruit tree, load it into her cart, and transport it to her vehicle, where she unloaded it.

The woman then entered the store, retrieved a new cart, and added Swiffer cleaning products. She also picked up a door lock set, priced at $26.47, and discreetly placed it in her large purse down a secluded aisle. The officer reported witnessing her exit the store without paying for any of the items, including the lock set and plants.

Upon being confronted, the suspect, identified as Sweat, agreed to return inside the store. There, she reportedly opened her purse, revealing several items she admitted to stealing from Home Depot. Additionally, she confessed to taking several plants and subsequently retrieved them from her vehicle.

Because Sweat had a dog in her car, the LPO released her before law enforcement arrived.

The responding Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer reported that the photographic evidence supplied by the LPO left “no doubt” that the suspect was Sweat. She was arrested yesterday at GPD Headquarters.

Sweat has been charged with felony petit theft, third or subsequent offense. She has five felony convictions (non-violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); she has served one state prison sentence for felony petit theft and was released in June 2024. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $20,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.