In a story covered by our friends at The Daily Ridge, Ashley Drumb, 42, a 5th-grade teacher at Polk Avenue Elementary School, was arrested for retail theft at the Target store located at 3570 Harden Blvd, according to Lakeland Police.
According to the arrest affidavit: On August 31, 2025, at approximately 9:35 a.m., Ashley Drumb, 42, arrived at the Target store located at 3570 Harden Blvd. in Lakeland, Florida, in a white Volkswagen. Drumb entered the store with a blue tote bag. She proceeded to the sales floor, selected unpaid merchandise, and placed the items into the tote bag.
Afterwards, Drumb passed all check-out lines and approached the customer service desk with the unpaid items. She completed a return transaction, receiving $81.00 before tax and $86.67 after tax credited to her Discover and MasterCard accounts. Drumb did not render payment for the returned items.
The total value of the 66 unpaid items selected from the sales floor was $958.16 before taxes. Drumb exited the store at approximately 10:37 a.m. with the items.
A Target Asset Protection Associate observed the activity via surveillance footage and contacted the Lakeland Police Department.
Post-Miranda, Drumb stated she forgot to pay for the items due to rain and indicated she would pay for all items. A review of Drumb’s criminal history revealed no prior record for theft. Based on the identification by witness and the facts of the incident, probable cause was established to charge Drumb with grand theft over $750 – retail theft and scheme to defraud. She was arrested and booked without further incident.
Source: Lakeland Police Dept. & Arrest Affidavit
