63-year-old David Gomes, a resident of Palm Coast’s P Section, was arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing a resident’s debit card and making fraudulent purchases with it. Gomes was charged with petty theft/second-degree burglary and usage of another person’s ID without consent.
The theft reportedly occurred on May 5, when a resident was said to have accidentally left her debit card in a propane exchange station at the Walmart on Cypress Point Parkway. Sometime after losing the card, the woman apparently noticed transactions being charged to it that were not from her.
After losing the card, the victim reportedly saw purchases of $79 in door hinges and Axe brand personal care products from Amazon. Detectives with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office traced these purchases to David Gomes.
Gomes was arrested Monday morning and booked into the county jail on $2,650 bond. His petty theft charge was a misdemeanor, while the ID fraud charge was a felony. Records show Gomes was released on bond later Monday, approximately 13 hours after being booked. There are no other criminal charges against Gomes on record.
“Being a good citizen includes reporting or turning in lost property, not using it for your personal gain,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly of the incident. “Finders keepers is a schoolyard rule. In Flagler County, it’s called theft.”
