Woman seen using son’s discount card trespassed from Walmart

A Safford police officer was dispatched to Walmart last Thursday afternoon, regarding multiple counts of shoplifting. Upon arrival, the officer met with asset protection personnel who told the officer that they had surveillance video of a woman stealing groceries while using the self checkout. The store officials explained that the woman was not scanning all the items in her basket. She was bagging more items than she was scanning and under-scanning items as well. Under-scanning is when a person takes two items and places one of lesser value in front of another of higher value. The scanner reads the item of lesser value and the shoplifter puts both items into a bag.

Asset protection had compiled three separate incidents on video for the officer to view. In one of the videos the woman was seen using an employee discount card. Store management was able to track the discount card to an employee. A manager called the employee in and asked about the woman who was seen using his card. The employee identified the woman as his mother but refused to provide her name. The employee said that he had let his mother use his card because they live together.

The officer reviewed the video footage of the three incidents. On August 8, 2019 at approximately, 10:00 a.m., the woman is seen in the self checkout area with a large basket of groceries. She can be seen under scanning items and bagging other items that she didn’t scan at all.

The woman is seen in two subsequent videos bagging up items that she did not pay for. From the video footage Walmart officials determined that the woman had taken $235.53 worth of merchandise without paying for it.

After reviewing the footage, the officer drove to the woman’s house and found her getting out of her car. The officer recognized the woman as the suspect seen on surveillance video. Once he confirmed her identity, the officer explained why he was there and asked the woman for her side of the story. Initially, she reportedly acted as if she was having a hard time remembering the events. The officer suggested that it would be best for her to be truthful. He then asked if she had stolen the groceries because she was having a hard time. The woman answered, ‘yes.’ According to the police report, the woman was trying to avoid direct answers to the officer’s questions.

The officer told the woman that she would be cited for shoplifting and trespassed from Walmart. He asked for her ID and the woman asked how long it was going to take because she had some kids that she needed to drop off. The officer explained that it would only take a few minutes and advised her that she was not free to leave. Upon hearing this, the woman apparently became rude and accused the officer of being rude. The officer pointed out that he could take her to jail if she did not want to cooperate.

The woman was cited for three counts of shoplifting and trespassed from the store. She told the officer that she wanted to see the video evidence. He told her that she could have it subpoenaed from the court.

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