She was getting in her car at a Circle K when she was shot, cops say

A woman was shot while sitting in her car at a Circle K in Winter Haven early Sunday morning and deputies are on the look out for the suspect, according to officials.

Melissa Thomas, 62, returned to her vehicle after shopping in the Circle K store at 1108 Spirit Lake Road, Winter Haven around 5:15 a.m. and was getting ready to leave when a man approached her, pointed a gun, fired one shot through the open car door and ran away, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas was struck by the gunshot and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. She is in stable condition, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies noted nothing was stolen from her vehicle.

The suspect was described as a man in his early 20s, wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt with white lettering and his nose and mouth were covered, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators believe that because he ran away on foot, it is possible he lives in the area.

Anyone with information about the incident or the shooter is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 863-298-6200 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 7:22 AM with the headline "She was getting in her car at a Circle K when she was shot, cops say."