Police say woman encouraged boy to shoplift

An 18-year-old woman is behind bars after police say she took a 12-year-old boy to a Lake County Target store to shoplift on two separate occasions.

Police say the Target on U.S. Highway 441 in Mount Dora was the scene of a crime twice for a local woman they're calling a thief and an incredibly bad influence.  They say Polly Lambert, of Mount Dora, showed up the last two Sundays at the store, stealing electronics including Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and cell phone accessories.  Both times, police say she brought the boy with her.

"Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a big deal, and for the 18-year old to take the 12-year old into the store is contributing to the delinquency of a minor," explained Megan Glass with the Mount Dora Police Department.

The second time, on Mother's Day, store management called police and they stopped the two after they passed all points of sale without paying, say authorities.   Both Lambert and the boy signed confessions, according to police.  

As of the publishing of this article, Lambert was still behind bars at the Lake County Jail and charged with theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.   She was being held on $2,500 bond, and according to Glass,  the boy was returned to his parents' custody immediately following Sunday's incident.

"I know the relationship is they are neighbors, so they could have possibly built a relationship there," Glass said. 

Police say they went with Lambert to her Mount Dora apartment and recovered headphones, an adaptor, and a Bluetooth tablet pen.   She told police the boy kept the other items.

Investigators say the boy spoke of trying to sell the items online or to friends.  Store surveillance video supports the duo's confessions of theft, they say. 

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