MARTIN COUNTY — Martin County Sheriff’s Office detectives and road patrol deputies arrested two women accused of stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of baby formula from multiple retail stores, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the thefts began in the city of Stuart, where Stuart Police received reports of two suspicious women who abruptly left a retail store. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office was later notified, and deputies began searching for the suspects’ vehicle.
Authorities located the vehicle at a Walgreens near the intersection of Salerno Road and Kanner Highway. Detectives approached the store and said they caught the women as they exited carrying bags filled with stolen baby formula. Additional stolen formula was found inside the vehicle.
In total, investigators recovered about 160 cans of baby formula, valued at approximately $8,000, the sheriff’s office said.
The suspects were identified as 36-year-old Summer Bryant and 38-year-old Andrea Williams, both of Jacksonville.
The sheriff’s office noted that baby formula theft has become more common due to the product’s high resale value and demand, with suspects often traveling across jurisdictions and targeting multiple stores in a short period of time.
Both women were arrested, transported to the Martin County Jail and charged.