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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Ocala man jailed after claiming Wal-Mart self-checkout register failed to ring up some items

Brian Lee Melendez

An Ocala man is behind bars in the Marion County Jail after he failed to pay for items at a Wal-Mart self-checkout register.

A loss prevention officer at the store, located at 9570 SW State Road 200, told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that 21-year-old Brian Lee Melendez didn’t pay for several items when checking out on Wednesday night. She said those items included a dead-bolt lock ($16.97), Raid roach killer ($3.98), double A batteries ($7.47) and Splenda Tea ($2.37). She said the total value of the items was $30.79.

Melendez told the deputy that the self-checkout register must have malfunctioned and failed to scan the items, even though he was able to scan other items he purchased at the same register. He was then taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with larceny/petit theft.

Melendez, who lives at 3638 SW 147th Lane Rd. in Ocala, was being held on $1,000 bond. He is due in court on Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. to answer to the charge.