Gainesville woman arrested for stealing plants, cleaning supplies, and a door lock from Home Depot

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Carol Craig Sweat, 60, was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing plants, cleaning supplies, and a door lock from Home Depot.

At about 4:33 p.m. on October 23, a Loss Prevention officer at Home Depot (7107 NW 4th Boulevard) noticed that a woman had selected several live plants from an outside display and placed them in a cart; the LPO went into the main entrance, expecting the woman to follow him to purchase the plants, but after waiting a short time, he went back outside and found the woman with an empty cart.

The LPO reported that the woman then selected a fruit tree, placed it in her cart, and pushed the cart to her vehicle, where she unloaded the tree.

The LPO reported that the woman then went into the main entrance of the store, selected a new cart, and placed Swiffer products in the cart. She then took a door lock set valued at $26.47, went into a deserted aisle, and placed the lock set in her large purse. The LPO reported that he watched the woman walk out of the store without paying for any of the merchandise in her cart, the lock set, or the plants.

The LPO stopped the woman, later identified as Sweat, and she agreed to come back inside the store. Inside the store, Sweat reportedly opened her purse and gave the LPO several items that she said had been stolen from Home Depot. She also reportedly admitted to stealing several plants and brought the plants back 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.