Suspected shoplifter arrested at Walmart in Leesburg

A Leesburg woman was arrested for theft after leaving Walmart with a stolen oximeter and extension cord despite being confronted by an employee.

An officer responded to Walmart, located at 2501 Citrus Boulevard, regarding a retail theft at 6:58 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. 

Upon the officer’s arrival, he was met by a Walmart loss prevention employee who was standing in the parking lot of the store. The employee advised that a woman, later identified as 46-year-old Faith Yolanda Barnes, had just stolen items from the store and was leaving in the direction of Fruitland Park. This information was passed on to the Fruitland Park Police Department in efforts to find her, the report said. 

The employee further advised that he observed through video surveillance Barnes enter the store, go to the toy department and select a scooter from the shelf to place under her cart. She next went to the hardware department and selected multiple power tools from the shelf. Her last stop was the clothing department where she tried to hide the items in a black bag, the report said. 

Barnes then went to the self-checkout registers where she only paid for one item, an Equate Pulse Oximeter. She tried to leave the store with a cart containing multiple unpaid items, including power tools, toilet repair parts and the black bag. The loss prevention employee advised that he tried to stop her, but she refused to do so, the report said. 

After being confronted, Barnes left the store without the cart containing multiple unpaid items. She took only the oximeter and one nonpaid for item, an orange extension cord, the report said. 

The officer watched the security footage at Walmart showing Barnes at the self-checkout register scanning a blue box, the oximeter, but not an orange extension cord. She then placed both items in a Walmart bag, the report said. 

While the officer continued his investigation at Walmart, a FPPD officer made contact with Barnes who still had the Walmart bag containing an Equate Pulse Oximeter and an orange extension cord. She was subsequently detained and transported back to the store by the officer, the report said. 

Barnes’ identity was confirmed once she was returned to Walmart with the two items. The loss prevention employee also positively identified her as the individual whom he saw through the cameras and later confronted, the report said. 

Additionally, a check for past theft convictions revealed that Barnes had multiple prior convictions, the report said. 

Barnes was ultimately arrested on charge of retail theft (felony, two or more prior theft). She was taken to Lake County Jail with bond set at $5,000.