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Victims Can View Goods In 'Lunchtime Bandit' Case

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By LISA A. DAVIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - On graduation day in 1993 at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Wendy Spriggs was bestowed two things she thought she would hold onto forever: her bachelor's degree and an engraved class ring from her father.

When her father died from cancer within a year of that special moment, she cherished the ring even more.

Then, in fall 2005, an intruder broke in to her home and stole her father's gift, devastating her, her husband, Steve Spriggs, 59, said Tuesday.

But last week, with the help of detectives, Wendy Spriggs, 53, was reunited with that ring, recovered from the home of a woman who some have dubbed the Lunchtime Bandit.

"She just teared up and just had this beautiful, glowing smile on her face, and she held it up and clutched it," her husband recalled. "You had to have seen it; it was beautiful."

Detectives are hoping to reunite more owners with their stolen goods beginning today, when they will display a 200-page catalog of some of the items they say were recovered from the home of Lisa Anne Williams of Land O' Lakes.

Pinellas County deputies arrested Williams, 28, of 1734 Tinsmith Circle, on June 3 after conducting surveillance in an Oldsmar neighborhood after getting a tip from a resident who caught a woman breaking in to his house while he napped. He got a partial license plate number and gave deputies a description of the gray PT Cruiser. Deputies spotted it without a license plate and pulled the car over; the driver was Williams, who according to deputies had in her car a large screwdriver and prescription drugs from previous burglaries.

Her Bail Is Set At $161,750

Williams is being held in the Pinellas County Jail and is facing numerous felony burglary and drug-related charges. Bail is set at $161,750.

Authorities say that during lunch breaks from her job in sales, Williams, wearing business attire, would randomly select homes to burglarize in nearby neighborhoods. Detectives found hundreds, if not thousands, of items stolen from homes mostly in Land O' Lakes and Oldsmar.

"I have traced some of these burglaries ... as far back as 2005," said Pasco County sheriff's Detective Steve Greiner.

The Spriggs' home in Land O' Lakes was hit twice, Steve Spriggs said: once in 2005 when the USF ring was taken along with his grandmother's pocket watch, and again in 2007 when his late father's service revolver from his time as a police chief in Kansas was swiped. Other jewelry, including a topaz and diamond necklace he gave his wife in celebration of their 10th wedding anniversary nearly 25 years ago, also vanished.

Greiner said he thinks most of the burglaries in Pasco County were daytime incidents, but not necessarily during Williams' lunch hour.

For two weeks, Greiner has cataloged and carefully marked photographs of items thought to be stolen goods found at Williams' home and filed them in a black, three-ring binder.

"There's dozens of pieces of jewelry in here we just can't identify," Greiner said, thumbing through the catalog.

'She Liked To Hoard Things'

With engravings such as Spriggs' jewelry and on other items such as watches with "Vivian Gayle" and "Donna," there are hints as to who is missing the loot.

Detectives found numerous prescription drugs, jewelry boxes, watches, necklaces, digital cameras and computers stashed inside Williams' closets and stuffed under beds, Greiner said.

"She liked to hoard things," he said.

What she planned to do with the booty and why she stole it is being investigated, Greiner said.

"She did have a drug habit," he said. "There are some other personal reasons I won't get into."

He doesn't think she was looking for fast cash.

"I've done pawn searches, and I have nothing at pawnshops," he said.

Greiner said he thinks Williams began selling stolen items on eBay in March, if not before. He's in the process of subpoenaing those records.

His main goal is to get word out to the public that those with unsolved burglary cases should view the catalog to see whether any of the goods can be identified.

If victims recognize something as being theirs, they must file a form; detectives will verify the claims. Nothing will be released before the end of the monthlong review period.

The Spriggs will be visiting the Pasco sheriff's District II office today, hoping to bring back some of their beloved jewelry.

"If out of all of them I can recover that 10-year anniversary necklace," Steve Spriggs said, "that would be great. All the rest can be replaced."

IS IT YOURS?

Beginning today, copies of the book will be available for review by the public for one month at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Call Detective Pete Eigo for details at (727) 582-6975. In Pasco, the book will be available at the sheriff's District II office, 36409 State Road 52, Dade City, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Appointments are recommended in Pasco and can be scheduled by calling (352) 518-5000.

Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at ldavis@tampatrib.com or (727) 815-1083.

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