A homeless woman in Leesburg was arrested after concealing over $185 worth of merchandise into a stolen bag and attempting to leave Walmart without paying.
An officer responded to Walmart Supercenter, located at 2501 Citrus Boulevard, regarding a theft in progress around 8:43 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officer met with a male asset protection associate who advised that there was a woman, later identified as 27-year-old Taylor Gladys May Estill, concealing merchandise inside a bag. He and Estill were in the Loss Prevention Office when the officer got to the scene, the report said.
The associate mentioned that Estill was near the women’s clothing, cosmetics and electronics departments when she was seen over video surveillance grabbing women’s clothing items and putting them in her cart near a bag. She proceeded to the cosmetics department, grabbing toiletry items and again placing them in her cart near the bag. She also went to the electronics department to grab items and repeat the process, the report said.
Estill then went to the home department where she was observed moving the items into the bag in her cart. Once she concealed all the items, she returned to the women’s clothing department, left the shopping cart and headed to the exit. However, the associate stopped her at the doors and escorted her to the Loss Prevention Office for further investigation, the report said.
Estill was identified through the LPD call center based off the name and date of birth she provided. The associate played the video footage of Estill placing items into the cart and later into the bag, the report said.
A search of Estill’s bag revealed all the items she had hidden, along with the bag itself being one of the items. The associate provided an itemized receipt of the items taken by Estill, totaling $187.34. He completed a sworn written statement, initialed next to the “yes” for intent to prosecute and was issued a victim’s rights pamphlet, the report said.
Estill was ultimately arrested on charge of petit theft (greater $100 and less than $750) and transported to Lake County Jail. Bond was set at $1,000.