3 Theft Calls at Walmart: Meth in a Purse, a $671 Grocery Dash, and Pokémon Cards

Three separate theft calls kept deputies busy — with one case leading to a drug arrest, another involving hundreds of dollars in groceries, and a third ending with a court summons over trading cards. According to reports from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to multiple shoplifting incidents involving different suspects. Meth Discovered During Shoplifting Arrest In the first case, store asset protection employees at the South Point Walmart reported observing a woman selecting merchandise and concealing items in her purse while shopping inside the store. Loss prevention staff also said the woman switched price tickets on a box of cat food before heading to the self-checkout registers. After paying for some items, she attempted to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. Store employees stopped her after she passed the last point of sale and escorted her to the asset protection office. Deputies arrived and began separating the merchandise she paid for from the unpaid items. The total value of the stolen merchandise came to $173.52. While searching the suspect’s purse for concealed items, deputies located a small black zipper pouch containing folded pieces of paper and several small straws. Inside one of the folded papers, deputies discovered a white crystal-like substance. When asked about the substance, the suspect told deputies it was methamphetamine. The suspect was transported to the Lawrence County Jail, where the substance later tested positive for meth. The drugs were logged into evidence and the case was closed by arrest. $671 Grocery Cart Theft Ends With Traffic Stop In another incident, Walmart employees reported an older man pushing a full cart of groceries out of the store without paying. Employees said the man first attempted to get into a vehicle in the parking lot that did not belong to him but found it locked. After employees told him to return inside with the cart, he reportedly attempted to get into his own vehicle and then tried to enter another car in the parking lot. The owner of that vehicle arrived at the same time and heard employees telling the man to return the unpaid groceries. The customer then took the cart and pushed it back to store employees. The man left the parking lot, but deputies later conducted a traffic stop near County Road 410 and Speedway. Due to concerns that the driver may have been impaired, deputies requested the Ohio State Highway Patrol respond to investigate a possible OVI. After the investigation was completed, the suspect was brought back to Walmart where loss prevention confirmed they wanted to pursue charges. The total value of the merchandise was $671.91. The suspect was arrested for theft, issued a trespass order from Walmart, and transported to the Lawrence County Jail. Trading Card Theft Ends With Court Summons In a third unrelated case, deputies were again called to the same Walmart for another shoplifting report. Loss prevention employees had already stopped a man who had removed Pokémon-style trading cards from their packaging and placed them in his pocket. Store employees said the man admitted to taking the items and handed them over without resistance. Because he was cooperative, deputies issued him a summons to appear in Lawrence County Municipal Court on a theft charge. The total value of the stolen cards was $89.94. While the three cases involved different suspects and circumstances, deputies say the incidents highlight the wide range of shoplifting calls they handle — from small retail theft to cases that uncover more serious crimes like drug possession.

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