Holmes Beach police arrested Bradenton resident Thomas Carter, 46, on Aug. 17 on a third-degree felony for alleged petit theft with two or more convictions.
An officer was approached around 5:57 p.m. by a Publix manager who said a man attempted to steal $29 of items from the store and left the area on foot.
Police searched the area for the man and found him in a nearby parking lot.
The man was identified as Carter, and the manager confirmed he was the person who attempted to steal from the store.
Carter told police “he was trying to commit a crime to go to jail because he needed to help people there,” according to a police report.
An officer arrested Carter, trespassed him from the Publix store and transported him to the Manatee County jail. He remained in custody as of Aug. 20 under a $2,500 bond.
If convicted, punishments for a third-degree felony charge include up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.