Homeless woman goes to prison for helping a man steal a truck from a construction company

A homeless woman in Leesburg was arrested for helping a male co-worker steal from the back of a truck parked behind a construction company.

A Lake County affidavit described a car burglary later determined to have involved 47-year-old Christal Bailey on or about July 8 at Branam James Construction, 3330 W. Main Street. Officers with the Leesburg Police Department contacted the complainant upon arrival.

The plaintiff stated that on July 7, he noticed several items missing from a toolbox and the bed of his work vehicle in the parking lot behind Branam James Construction. He reviewed the company's security camera footage and found that a male suspect approached the vehicle on foot at approximately 8:47 p.m. on July 3, the affidavit states.

The male suspect then picked up a tarp that was on the ground next to the truck and brought it to the bed of the truck, where he opened it and placed it on the ground. He approached the bed of the truck and began rummaging through it and the toolbox that was in the back. He took several items from both locations and brought them to the tarp, the affidavit states.

At around 9:08 p.m., the male suspect exited the truck and slung the tarp containing the stolen items rolled up over his shoulder. At around 9:11 p.m., he returned to retrieve more items from the truck bed before leaving the area, the affidavit states.

The plaintiff filed an affidavit stating that he intended to pursue criminal charges. In his statement, he wrote that numerous items were stolen and that his total loss was approximately $600. During the investigation, officers reviewed security camera footage and confirmed his account of the incident, the affidavit states.

The plaintiff then reviewed two separate security camera recordings for the first time while officers were with him. One of the recordings showed Bailey walking along the side of the store toward the back where the truck was parked at about 9:07 p.m. while holding a Polar Pop cup, the affidavit states.

At approximately 9:09 p.m., the male suspect came out of the back of the building with the tarp containing the stolen items over his shoulder. He was also carrying a blue Lowes bucket filled with other stolen items in his hands. As he walked to the front of the building, he placed the bucket and tarp on the ground, the affidavit states.

Bailey came out of the back of the building at that point. She and the male suspect spoke briefly, and she picked up the bucket while he picked up the tarp. They both walked to the front of the store, where they placed the stolen items in a Dollar General shopping cart, the affidavit states.

Bailey remained there with the shopping cart, keeping watch, while the male suspect returned to the back of the building empty-handed. At around 9:12 p.m., he returned with more items to put in the cart. Two minutes later, both left the property heading east, with the stolen items still in the cart, the affidavit states.

A third surveillance camera recorded the same events from a different angle. The complainant ultimately provided officers with three recordings of the incident, which were later presented as evidence and used to create photographs of the male suspect and Bailey, the affidavit states.

On July 25, officers found the male suspect and Bailey in the wooded area at 2040 High Street. During the identification process, officers at the scene filled out and submitted a field ID, the affidavit states.

On July 26, an investigator contacted LPD School Resource Officers, who were tasked with documenting homeless encampments in Leesburg. They distributed photos of Bailey and the male suspect in the case. A female officer identified her, noting that she had just been out with Bailey the day before, the affidavit states.

Bailey was arrested on Thursday, August 15, on a warrant for burglary (unoccupied vehicle, unarmed) and petty theft. The Kentucky native was taken to the Lake County Jail with bail set at $6,000.