LAKELAND, Fla. – A late-night stroll through the shadows of a Lakeland funeral home ended in handcuffs Thursday night for a Melbourne woman with a sprawling criminal history.
Tiffany Gilliland Vinci, 53, was taken into custody by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies at approximately 9:22 p.m. after she was spotted behaving suspiciously on the private property.
A deputy patrolling the area noticed Vinci walking between bushes and sticking to the shadows while peering through the windows of the business, which was closed for the night.
When the deputy approached her to ask what she was doing on the premises, Vinci reportedly claimed she was simply “looking at all of the nice pictures and things inside.”
READ: Final Breath At Starke: Florida Executes James Hitchcock Following Decades Of Appeals
The investigation quickly shifted when the deputy ran a background check and discovered Vinci was currently on felony probation for burglary and theft.
A deeper look into her past revealed a lengthy list of prior arrests, including charges for burglary, mail theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and the possession of methamphetamine and cocaine. Her record also includes entries for battery, DUI, and even providing a fraudulent urine test, deputies say.
Because she was loitering in a place and manner not usual for law-abiding citizens—and given her current legal status—deputies arrested her on the spot.
Vinci was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and officially charged with Loitering and Prowling, as well as Violation of Probation. She remains in custody following the Thursday night encounter.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
