Two Davenport women and a juvenile are facing retail theft charges after a Walmart employee caught them skip-scanning over $450 in merchandise.
A deputy responded to Walmart, located at 550 U.S. Hwy. 27 in Clermont, regarding a retail theft around 3:28 p.m. Tuesday, according to arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy met with the complainant, a loss prevention employee, who was in the loss prevention office watching the cameras when she observed three females, two of which were later identified as 46-year-old Jenny Micheld Blanco and her daughter 28-year-old Jasmine Renata Gamez, at register number six in the self-checkout. They were skip-scanning items, or not scanning some of the merchandise, the report said.
Blanco was stacking items but only scanning the cheaper ones. Gamez and the third female, a juvenile whose name is being withheld, were putting more items into the bag without even trying to scan them, the report said.
The complainant paused the transaction so a host could help them out. After being helped, they continued with the same conduct of skip-scanning merchandise. They then paid for the items that they scanned and left, passing all points of sale without paying for the rest, the report said.
The complainant approached the trio with the help of the door host. She explained that she worked for loss prevention, and they needed to talk to her in the officer about the items, the report said.
The deputy was ultimately given a Walmart Training Receipt for the amount of $464.74. The complainant filed an affidavit with intent to prosecute on behalf of the store, the report said.
With the help of surveillance footage, Blanco was identified using her driver’s license. Gamez was identified via her name and date of birth. The juvenile’s identity was also confirmed, the report said.
The deputy saw surveillance footage where Gamez approached the register without scanning or paying for kid’s toys. She grabbed a plastic bag, put the toys in it and placed the bag on the bottom shelf of their cart. The juvenile gave merchandise to Blanco and placed them in bags without scanning them, the report said.
Blanco then scanned one meat package with two others stacked with it that were not scanned. She repeated this action with other items. The group paid for some of the scanned items but left without paying for the rest that they skip-scanned, the report said.
The deputy read the group their rights, which they all understood. They were willing to speak with law enforcement. The report noted that Blanco gave consent for the juvenile to speak with them, as well.
The deputy proceeded to ask all the offenders what happened. Blanco stated she would cooperate, stating that she paid for some of the items and was skip-scanning, the report said.
However, Gamez stated she did not have anything to say to the deputy. She advised that she was unaware that her mom was not scanning the items. The deputy told her that he saw her in the footage where she approached the register, placed the toys in a bag, then under the cart without scanning them. She did not give him an answer when challenged about that, the report said.
The juvenile stated that she did not know what was going on and was helping, the report said.
The deputy conducted a criminal history check that showed both Gamez and the juvenile had no priors. Blanco had one prior conviction for petit theft in New York. The juvenile was released on scene to her stepfather, and a Juvenile Complaint and Referral was to be completed and forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office, the report said.
Blanco was arrested on charges of retail petit theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The native of Guatemala was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,000 bond.
Gamez was arrested on charge of retail petit theft. The New York native was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,000 bond.