Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a North Port man for stealing a 55-inch LED television from Wal-Mart in Murdock. Arrested for Grand Theft and Resisting a Merchant was Robert Andrew Zobel, 42, 5511 Linda Drive.
CCSO received a call Sunday at 10:10am from Wal-Mart security who observed a man put the large television in a shopping cart and exited to the parking lot passing all sale points. Security stopped the man who left the TV and ran down Veterans Boulevard and into a wooded area. Store video showed a small white pickup entering the parking lot; the driver got out and went into the store. Later, video showed the subject walk back into the parking lot and drive away in the same pickup. Security said the subject was wearing a green tee-shirt, tan cargo pants, flip-flops and a baseball hat.
A BOLO was issued and at 10:33 a.m. and five minutes later another deputy located the pickup and Zobel was taken into custody. Wal-Mart security positively identified Zobel as the man who attempted to steal the $998 television; Zobel was wearing the same clothing. He told deputies he took the television because he was down on his luck and needed the money. Zobel was arrested and transported to the Charlotte County Jail where he was later released on a $3,500 bond.