Molino Man Facing Felony, Misdemeanors After Being Caught With Drugs, Dollar General Shopping Basket

July 27, 2026

A Molino man is facing multiple charges, including a felony drug violation and a misdemeanor for possessing a Dollar General shopping basket, following a routine patrol encounter at a Pensacola convenience store early this month.

Matthew Wayne Flores, 50, was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after a deputy spotted him riding a bicycle through a local parking lot with an unusual accessory.

According to the arrest report, a deputy on uniformed patrol at the Circle K located at 330 Kenmore Road noticed a white male, later identified as Flores, riding a bicycle that had a yellow Dollar General shopping hand basket attached to the front handlebars. The deputy approached Flores on foot, informing him that it is illegal to be in possession of a clearly marked shopping basket off store property.

When asked for identification, Flores reportedly refused to comply. Despite multiple demands from the deputy, who advised Flores that he had a reasonable suspicion a crime had been committed, Flores continued to refuse to identify himself, the report states.

Flores was subsequently detained in handcuffs and placed in a patrol vehicle while law enforcement searched the hand basket, which contained his backpack and personal belongings. Inside the basket, the deputy discovered a green smoking product package containing a green leafy substance. A field test kit yielded a positive result for synthetic cannabinoids, weighing approximately 6 grams.

The incident took place directly across Pensacola Boulevard from a Dollar General location. According to the report, Flores spontaneously claimed that he had been given the shopping basket by the Dollar General in Molino, and alleged that the items found by the deputy would be “thrown out.”

The Dollar General shopping basket was photographed for evidence and returned to the retail store.

Flores was transported to the Escambia County Jail and booked on four charges: felony possession of a synthetic cannabinoid, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence, and misdemeanor illegal possession of a shopping cart. He remained in jail with his bond set at $4,000.

Comments

5 Responses to “Molino Man Facing Felony, Misdemeanors After Being Caught With Drugs, Dollar General Shopping Basket”

  1. Robin on July 28th, 2026 11:42 am

    IRT: JJ – Maybe he was locked up for those 6 years

  2. Dale on July 28th, 2026 8:25 am

    I’m glad to see arrest for possession of shopping cart. I see them everywhere. These things are expensive and cost the owners lots of money to replace and the cost is passed on to honest customers. EVERY person you see with a shopping cart full of their junk is a thief that we all subsidize. I wish the sheriff would make it a policy to stop and arrest every person they find with a shopping cart off the property of the business it was stolen from. Being homeless is not a license to steal.

  3. El duque on July 27th, 2026 9:37 pm

    IRT rd: if you noticed, there is a 6 year break between 2020 and 2026. I think he deserves one more last chance.

  4. JJ on July 27th, 2026 1:18 pm

    If I am thinking right, ARRESTS does not mean conviction. Charges are always dropped or are lower charges. Either way, the arrest stays on file.

  5. rd on July 27th, 2026 8:45 am

    Exactly how many chances does the judicial system feel this person needs before he is locked up for good. He steals things to support a drug habit and apparently has no plans on quitting. The following is the arrest list just from Escambia County.
    2011 Larceny
    2012 Larceny
    2012 Burglary and 2X Larceny
    2013 Larceny
    2013 Larceny
    2016 Trespassing
    2016 Battery and Trespassing
    2017 Larceny
    2018 Larcent and Drug Possession
    2018 Drug Possession
    2018 Larceny
    2019 Failure to Appear
    2019 Larceny
    2020 DUI
    2020 Larceny
    2026 Possess Stolen Property and Drugs





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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News