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Woman Arrested For Assault, Stealing Baby Formula

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: January 8, 2009

Blanca Sevilla

SEBRING - A Bradenton woman remained in jail today without bail after her arrest for allegedly stealing baby formula from a local grocery store and striking an employee.

Blanca Sevilla, 40, of Bradenton, was charged with felony battery, petty theft and giving a false ID to a law enforcement officer.

Officers with the Sebring Police Department were dispatched to a local grocery store on a delayed theft complaint. Law enforcement spoke to an employee, who said she had observed a female, initially identified as Emerita Maldanado, going down the baby food aisle with what appeared to be an empty black purse, according to the arrest report.

The employee said that when she approached Maldanado, she saw what looked like powdered baby formula inside the purse, since it was unzipped.

When the employee asked the suspect if she needed help finding anything, Maldanado only said, "My baby," the report stated.

The employee also told authorities that when she saw Maldanado try to leave the store, the purse was very full and the subject did not go through a cashier's line to pay for any items.

When Maldanado tried to go out the door, the employee and a second colleague asked her to step into the office and talk about paying for the items. The subject then reportedly started swinging her arms and the purse holding the baby formula.

The second store employee told police she was hit in the face by the purse, the report stated. There were no visible wounds and the employee said she did not suffer any major injuries.

Inside the purse were six 12.9-ounce cans of powdered Good Start Soy Baby Formula. They had a value of $83.34.

Booking deputies later advised the arresting officer, SPD Officer John Garrison, that Maldanado's positive identification was discovered through fingerprints. Her real name is Blanca Sevilla.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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