A West Palm Beach man is behind bars and his female accomplice is on the lam after they allegedly went on a month-long theft tear across South Florida, snagging up to $20,000 in merchandise from several stores. Police say Jimmy Carter Lamar and Donkeria Eunice Burgess pilfered goods in a brazen crime spree that spanned Broward, Brevard, Orange, and Palm Beach counties. According to NBC Miami, the shoplifting duo allegedly targeted stores including Dicks Sporting Goods, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Ulta Beauty, and swiped items like Stanley Cups and Bogg Bags, along with high-end fragrances and cosmetics.
Lamar was arrested on March 12 after a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy tried to pull over the U-Haul he was operating. Court documents reportedly show a failed attempt to evade arrest, leading to Lamar swerving into oncoming traffic and a chase on foot before being apprehended. Burgess, however, has evaded capture and is still at large, as confirmed by the Attorney General's Office. A piece of evidence to her fleeting presence is an open warrant in Palm Beach County. The two are faced with organized retail theft charges, a second-degree felony, with the case to be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution.
In a statement obtained by CBS12, Attorney General Ashley Moody's office described the crime as having "a real cost to businesses," which in turn leads to "even higher prices for consumers." The count of charges against Lamar has grown, with multiple felony cases now pending in Palm Beach County alone. The organized retail theft charges are being taken seriously, and could lead to severe consequences for both accused.
The crime spree is notable for its scope and audacity, with Lamar and Burgess accused of lifting a dozen types of items from multiple high-profile retailers. Burgess, who the records say is no stranger to the law, committed these crimes while on probation for a prior aggravated child abuse charge. Their operation was methodically simple: enter a store, conceal the items, and then make a swift exit without paying for them. As the authorities continue their manhunt for Burgess, retailers are left tallying up the damages from the spree that has underscored the ongoing battle against organized retail theft in the region.
