DAVENPORT, Fla. — A Tampa woman was arrested after investigators say she sprayed retail workers with "a chemical spray," then accelerated her minivan toward them in the parking lot before speeding away from a deputy.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says it arrested 31-year-old Nikita Lindsey after an ordeal that began just before closing time at 11 p.m. Friday at the Burlington store in the Posner Park Shopping Center near Davenport.
Deputies say when an employee offered to help her, Lindsey responded by threatening to slap the glasses off the woman's face if she didn't move.
"Lindsey tried to push a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise out of the store, but the wheels locked, and she intentionally sprayed two of the employees with a chemical spray," the sheriff's office wrote in a press release.
When three store workers went outside, deputies say she turned around her minivan and "accelerated directly toward the women."
According to law enforcement, a responding deputy tried to stop her but chose not to chase her minivan after she began speeding through heavy traffic with her headlights off and ignored a red light.
The Dodge Journey was later found abandoned with a flat tire.
"Detectives described Lindsey’s minivan as being loaded with suspected stolen items from various department stores (Burlington, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc.)," the sheriff's office explained in the news release. "Many of the items still had price-tags and anti-theft devices still attached. It was estimated that the value of the merchandise recovered was worth about $7,000."
Deputies say they fanned out and located Lindsey as she was trying to get into an Uber.
Lindsey was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail. She faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, along with one count each of robbery with a weapon, fleeing to elude, possession of Alprazolam, and driving while license suspended/revoked.
“Nikita Lindsey is in the Polk County Jail right now without bond. She came to Polk County from Tampa to commit crimes here, so she can just stay here for a bit longer. And that’s a good thing…she’s a violent person with no consideration for the safety of others," Sheriff Grady Judd wrote in a statement. "She’s a dangerous person who needs to be kept away from the general public."
Authorities say she was also cited for running a traffic light, operating a motor vehicle in the wrong direction, and operating a vehicle at night without headlights activated.
"Nikita Lindsey’s prior criminal history consists of five felonies and twelve misdemeanors, including previous charges of Robbery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Resisting, Drug Possession, and numerous charges for DWLSR and Violations of Probation," the sheriff's office added.
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