WATCH: Brevard County Mother Arrested After Directing Her Kids to Steal Merchandise at Walmart in Viera
By Wayne Ivey, Brevard Sheriff // July 13, 2023
Message from Sheriff Wayne Ivey
ABOVE VIDEO: Katrina Latoya Singleton was observed on surveillance camera by Loss Prevention as she directed and assisted her kids, including one who is 10 years old and has autism, to steal a shopping cart of merchandise from the Men’s Clothing Section, Lady’s Clothing, and Children’s Apparel.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – After 43 years of Law Enforcement nothing surprises me any more, however some things just absolutely make me so furious that my head wants to explode.
You know, things like a mom who uses her 10 year old autistic child to commit retail theft and then runs from law enforcement while her child is taken into custody for trying to steal over $600 in merchandise.
Well that’s exactly what happened recently when Katrina Latoya Singleton took her three kids to the Walmart in Viera, so they could go inside the store and start stealing merchandise.
Singleton was observed on surveillance camera by Loss Prevention as she directed and assisted her kids, including one who is 10 years old and has autism, to steal a shopping cart of merchandise from the Men’s Clothing Section, Lady’s Clothing, and Children’s Apparel.
After filling the shopping cart with the merchandise, the 10 year old is observed leaving the clothing area and walking briskly through the grocery area and eventually out of the front door of the store.
What Singleton didn’t count on though when planning this little crime spree, was our General Crimes Unit Agents working a joint detail with Walmart Loss Prevention to stop retail theft.
As everyone knows, this is not Los Angeles where they let thieves openly steal from stores and do nothing about it, this is Brevard County and we will lock your butt up for stealing a pack of bubble gum.
As the 10 year old reached the parking lot pushing the shopping cart filled with stolen merchandise, Agents Anthony McDonough and Agent Joel Hernandez approached the child who first attempted to keep walking by them, but eventually stopped at their direction.
Within just a few minutes, one of the other children, who was actually 18 years old, exited the store and identified himself as the brother of the 10 year old, while stating that their mom, Katrina Singleton, was still inside the store.
The older brother contacted his mother by cell and directed her to come to the Agents location so that the issue could be addressed.
A few minutes later, Singleton exited through the doors at the opposite end of the store in an effort to elude law enforcement. Singleton was then approached by Agent Randy Truitt who also directed her to go to the area where her daughter and son were located.
Of course, in an effort to completely secure herself as a nominee for the “Mom Of The Year Award,” instead of going to the area where her children are being held by law enforcement, Singleton fled from the parking lot and left the area. As a result of the incident, Agents contacted the children’s grandparent who traveled to the store location and took custody of the children.
As a result of the investigation Agent McDonough obtained an arrest warrant for Singleton who was taken into custody just a short time ago per the instructions of the warrant, for Two Counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Petit Retail Theft, and Child Neglect Without Great Bodily Harm.
Singleton was transported to “Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge” where she was held on a total bond of $8,000. And yes, I truly wish the law allowed me to set the bonds as that bond is not nearly enough for the crap she pulled and for what she has done to her kids.
What kind of mom or even human being for that matter teaches her children, especially one with autism, how to steal from a store and then abandons them when they are caught by law enforcement?
As I said at the very beginning of this post…some things just absolutely make me so furious that my head wants to explode.
Another great job by our Agents at getting this woman put behind bars where she belongs and hopefully our partners at DCF will make certain that the kids are placed in a better environment with someone who actually wants to teach their kids about character and not how to be a thief!!
– Sheriff Wayne Ivey
