ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Three people suspected of stealing ladders from an Orange County hardware store are behind bars Monday.
One by one, they were led out of a Winter Park pawn shop in cuffs and did not look happy to be going to jail.
Orange County deputies said they had no problem swiping hundreds of dollars in merchandise from a family-owned Ace Hardware store and then trying to pawn the merchandise at Cash America on Semoran Boulevard and Banchory Road minutes later.
"From every direction, it was just crazy. It was like 'voosh,'" said witness Jonathan Johnson.
Johnson was there as deputies stormed the pawn shop and arrested the trio.
"They were like, 'freeze, freeze; stop, stop.' And he just (started) to take off running. Two was outside, they tried to run," Johnson said.
Deputies said the trio is suspected in other thefts.
Monday, deputies said they decided to target the large ladders displayed outside the Ace Hardware.
"Broad daylight, just backed right up. Knew what they were going to do," Ace Hardware store owner Janice Burns said.
Store workers told deputies the thieves loaded up an old Dodge van, then took off.
As they peeled out of the parking lot, quick-thinking employees snapped photos of the getaway vehicle and called 911. Almost instantly, deputies spotted the unique-looking van outside the pawn shop, swarmed the place and arrested the people suspected of the theft.
"I'm totally in shock, I'm amazed," Burns said.
Inside the van was what looked like bolt cutters and a black bandana.
Investigators are looking into what other crimes the group may be behind.