Two men dressed as women are being actively pursued by police after they robbed two Home Depot stores, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Omar McCrae, 18, and Malik Taylor, 19, are accused of stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of MasterCard and American Express gift cards, the sheriff’s office said. The men, accompanied by an unidentified accomplice, stole from a Lakeland Home Depot on June 22 and a Winter Haven Home Depot on July 6. Both suspects became physically aggressive with the store clerk as the third suspect scanned and activated the gift cards.
During the July 6 robbery, McCrae -- wearing what appears to be a light pink tracksuit -- placed a 69-year-old female store clerk in a chokehold, police said.
Warrants are out for McCrae and Taylor’s arrest. The two suspects are from Tampa and have an extensive criminal history in Hillsborough County, police said. McCrae has been previously charged with grand theft, prostitution, resisting arrest and attempting to use another person’s ID. Taylor has previously been charged with 60 felonies and 29 misdemeanors, including robbery, fraud, battery and forgery.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the suspects’ locations to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.
