Clearwater - The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office closed a petit theft case from the beginning of January.
The clerk at the Pet Safari on South Highlands Avenue reported that a man and woman had walked out of the store with two tropical fish. The man had shoved the fish in his pants to conceal them as they fled the store.
Deputies investigated the January 8th incident and determined that the suspect and an accomplice entered the store and proceeded to work together for the theft.
The female subject purposely distracted the clerk while the male subject selected two tropical fish and concealed them in his pants.
Both fled the store in a vehicle following the theft.
Deputies were able to determine that Cruz Orlando Garcia Jr. was the suspect who had concealed the fish and stole them. His accomplice was identified as Crystal Marie Dixon.
Garcia is charged with petit theft for the fish-in-pants caper; and Dixon may be charged as an accomplice.
Both have prior arrests for theft in Pinellas County.