Cape Coral, FL – On Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 12:44 p.m., officers with the Cape Coral Police Department responded to Lowe’s Home Improvement, 1651 NE Pine Island Road, in reference to a retail theft in progress.

Upon arrival, officers met with store loss prevention, who had detained Michael Victor Nappa (DOB 01/18/1957). Mr. Nappa was identified by his Florida driver’s license and was associated with a white Chevrolet Colorado.​

The investigation revealed that Mr. Nappa allegedly removed the barcode from a Gorilla Double‑Sided Tape package ($7.98) and placed it over the barcode of a Heavy‑Duty Scotch 4‑count roll ($17.98). Mr. Nappa then proceeded through self‑checkout, scanned the lower‑priced barcode, passed all points of sale, and was detained by store personnel. Officers later located the ripped Gorilla Tape barcode in Mr. Nappa’s pocket, which matched the discarded packaging and scanned as Gorilla Tape in the store system. The total loss for this incident was $10.00.

During the course of the investigation, loss prevention advised that Mr. Nappa was a known repeat offender and documented a total of ten prior retail theft incidents involving the same suspect at two Lowe’s locations in Cape Coral. These incidents occurred between November 13, 2025, and February 9, 2026, within a 120‑day period, and involved ten or more items with a combined total reported loss of $958.73. In each reported incident, the suspect arrived and departed in the same white Chevrolet Colorado.

According to the reports provided, the prior incidents followed a similar pattern in which the suspect allegedly altered or misused barcodes at self‑checkout to pay a lower price than the full retail value of higher‑priced merchandise, including decking materials, paper products, trailer lighting, screen mesh, and hardware items.

Based on the evidence and documentation, probable cause was established for the arrest of Michael Victor Nappa for Retail Theft under Florida Statute 812.015, a third‑degree felony, for allegedly taking possession of merchandise from a merchant, altering or removing labels or price information, and committing thefts from more than one location within a 120‑day period with an aggregated value exceeding $750 and involving ten or more items.

Mr. Nappa was placed under arrest and charged with the following:

Retail Theft, F.S.S. 812.015 (Third‑Degree Felony)