Jacksonville women arrested for stealing thousands of dollars of candles from Bath and Body Works

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Schekeena Zarvon Lewis, 36; Sylvia Latresa Lewis, 53; and Charmaine Tiera Stiger, 29, all of Jacksonville, were arrested yesterday and charged with grand theft after allegedly stealing 159 candles worth about $4,000 from Bath and Body Works. The women are suspects in similar thefts from that store and other Bath and Body Works stores, possibly adding up to tens of thousands of dollars in candles.

At about noon yesterday, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call from the store at 3948 SW Archer Road about several women putting candles in bags; the caller said that store employees recognized the women because “they come into the store weekly and steal thousands of dollars’ worth of candles each time.” The officer noted that similar calls have been received over the past few months from both local Bath and Body Works stores, reporting thefts of candles worth tens of thousands of dollars.

The caller stayed on the line with the officer and gave her the description of a woman who had left the store; the officer saw a woman matching that description on the sidewalk and told her to stop. The woman reportedly stopped and dropped six shopping bags that contained 80 candles. The woman, who was later identified as Sylvia Lewis, was detained.

The officer went into the store and encountered Schekeena Lewis and Stiger, who were about to walk out of the store. She detained them and walked them to her patrol car; the officer reported that they were “both defiant and argumentative” but were detained after a backup officer arrived.

A store employee told the officer that two other suspects had left the store just before Sylvia Lewis left and that those two suspects had gotten away. The employee said that while the officer was detaining Sylvia Lewis, Schekeena Lewis and Stiger had put four shopping baskets on the floor before trying to leave the store. Each basket reportedly contained 16 candles. The employee also checked the stock drawers because the suspects had been seen opening drawers throughout the store; a bag that was reportedly brought into the store by the suspects was found hidden in a stock drawer and contained 15 more candles.

An employee said each candle is priced at either $24.95 or $26.95 and that most of the candles were taken from the higher-priced shelves. A total of 159 candles were taken, with a minimum value of $3,967.05.

Additional charges may be filed after further investigation.

Schekeena Lewis has been charged with grand theft. She has juvenile convictions and two adult misdemeanor convictions (one violent); she has an active warrant out of Duval County. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $20,000.

Sylvia Lewis has been charged with grand theft. She has five felony convictions (none violent) and nine misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and is on pre-trial release on three theft cases in Duval and St. Johns counties. Judge Miller-Jones set bail at $30,000.

Stiger has been charged with grand theft. She has one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent). Judge Miller-Jones set bail at $20,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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