LAKELAND, Fla. – A 33-year-old Lakeland woman is back behind bars after deputies discovered her hiding under a pile of bed sheets on Wednesday night. Maria Teresa Gonzalez was arrested on Wednesday by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies who acted on a tip that she was located at a residence on Sunset Way.
The arrest follows a string of legal troubles for Gonzalez that began early this year, according to Polk County deputies. In February, the Lakeland Police Department charged her with theft from a local Dillard’s department store.
Because Gonzalez was already on probation for a felony petit theft conviction from June 2025, the new charge triggered an automatic violation of her release terms.
Investigators say the State Attorney’s Office recently added to her legal woes by filing additional charges of felony petit theft and resisting a merchant. These charges stem from a separate investigation into a theft at an Ulta Beauty store, which resulted in an active warrant for her arrest.
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When deputies arrived at the Sunset Way home to serve those warrants, Gonzalez reportedly attempted to conceal herself beneath blankets and sheets before being taken into custody.
She was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and currently faces a long list of charges, including two counts of felony petit theft, resisting a merchant, and resisting an officer without violence.
She is also being held for violating probation related to previous convictions for theft, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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