Deputies: Caught stealing air fresheners, women rammed Cadillac into store

Two women were arrested Tuesday night after allegedly ramming their car into the entrance of a Dollar General store and running over a manager who had caught them shoplifting.

Jantavia Tayler, 22, and Jasmine Lovett, 19, were arrested outside a Radio Shack they were also trying to steal merchandise from, Manatee County sheriff's deputies said.

Deputies say Dale Lindow, the manager of the Dollar General store at 5102 15th Street E., noticed the women in the store parking lot about 6:20 p.m. and watched them retrieve an empty tote bag from the trunk of a black Cadillac.

The women entered the store, walked around and filled the tote back with air fresheners until it was full, investigators say. As they were about to leave, Lindow confronted them and a fight ensued.

Lindow was able to get the property back, but the women returned to their car and, with Taylor driving, drove into the front of the business, running over Lindow.

The manager was transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital with significant injuries.

Investigators say the women fled the area only to show up later at the Radio Shack at 809 Cortez Road W.

Deputies were called to that store in reference to two women attempting to steal cell phones. The deputies found the same Cadillac sitting in the parking lot and saw that it still had glass on the hood from the Dollar General crash.

Investigators determined that the women entered the Radio Shack and started to steal dummy phones. They then moved to an the employees-only area and went through a desk and and an employee's purse.

After the employee caught them and took her purse back, the women took two phones from an inventory area and walked out of the store.

Deputies immediately detained them.

The women were charged with burglary to a structure, grand theft, possession of cannabis, tampering with evidence, making a threat to a public official, retail theft, resisting a merchant, battery, aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, driving without a valid driver's license and leaving the scene of an accident with injury.