A Fruitland Park woman was arrested after using a false ID to get a refund on stolen items she had just picked up in Walmart.
Karen Ann Wardner, 44, was inside Walmart, located at 2501 Citrus Blvd., at 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Through surveillance cameras, a loss prevention officer saw her pick up a pair of shoes and put them inside a bag in a shopping cart. She then walked to the clothing department where she selected merchandise from the shelf. She continued to walk up and down the aisles, choosing more items, the report said.
Wardner was seen walking to the customer service desk she returned the items she picked up from the shelf for a cash refund. After this, she left the store where loss prevention escorted her to their office, the report said.
When police arrived, loss prevention handed over the driver’s license Wardner gave him and the customer service clerk for a refund. An officer spoke to Wardner and learned the driver’s license was not hers, the report said.
Loss prevention also advised that Wardner only returned the clothes she got from the shelves. She still had $27.98 tennis shoes in the shopping bag that she left without paying for. The items fraudulently returned included bike shorts, a New Balance bra and another sports bra worth a total of $35.71. The refund was put on a Walmart gift card, which was recovered to the store, the report said.
A criminal history check revealed Wardner had at least two prior convictions for theft from June 27, 2011, and Sept. 25, 2012, the report said.
Wardner was arrested on charges of petit theft (two or more prior convictions) and fraud (fraudulent refund). The New Hampshire native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $3,000.