A man suspected of repeatedly stealing sub sandwiches has been apprehended during his latest visit to a Publix grocery store in The Villages.
The suspect, John Witkowski, aged 46 and a resident of Rolling Acres Apartments in Lady Lake, entered the store at La Plaza Grande a little before 7 p.m. on Friday.
He approached the deli counter, where he placed an order for three sub sandwiches valued at a total of $31.77, as detailed in a report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
Rather than paying for the sandwiches, he simply left the store with them. Subsequently, he was arrested and taken into custody by the police, who put him in handcuffs.
The management of the Publix store had alerted the police about Witkowski’s potential involvement in two previous incidents of sub sandwich theft.
On both July 21 and 23, he had placed orders for three sandwiches each time, totaling the exact amount of $31.77. Surveillance footage clearly showed him leaving the store without making any payment for the sandwiches.
Originally from the Bronx, New York, Witkowski now faces three theft charges. He was processed at the Lake County Jail but was later released on his own recognizance.
