Retired Orange County deputy, wife help catch suspected shoplifter

3 weeks into retirement, Spike Hopkins, wife credited for catching suspect

SANFORD, Fla. – A retired deputy is fighting crime again after seeing a pair of suspected shoplifters run out of a store with stolen goods in one arm and a baby in the other.

"One of the girls had a small infant in her arms as she ran towards the car," said Spike Hopkins.

For years, Spike Hopkins served in the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Just three weeks into retirement, he and his police officer wife are being credited for helping catch a suspected shoplifter.

Sanford police said the women ran out of the Party City store with stolen items. Store security didn't chase them, but the Hopkins did. They followed the women running out of the store, took pictures of their car and called 911.

"My wife and I already had our plan set if they started to fight the police that we were going to jump in and help. But our main concern was to get that baby and make sure that baby was safe so it wasn't harmed during this," Hopkins said.

Defiant, Edquenesha Bass bonded out of the Seminole County jail Friday evening, carrying the same big bag that helped land her in jail for shoplifting.

When asked why she would commit a crime when she had a baby with her, Bass replied, "Why are you all in my business? That's what I want to know. Everybody commits a crime. So, get out of my face."

Police let the mom and her baby go and only arrested Bass, who has no apology for what happened.

Police trespassed both women from the stores.


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