The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a woman who tried to steal more than $350 worth of merchandise from an Ocala Wal-Mart.
A loss-prevention employee at the store, located at 9570 SW Hwy. 200, told a deputy that a woman entered the store through the grocery door at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and went to the men’s department, where she picked up two packages of boxers, two packages of socks, and one package of t-shirts. She then went to the bedding department and selected four packages of pillow shams, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The employee said the woman proceeded to the sporting goods department and picked up two flashlights and a waterproof box. She then placed multiple items from the automotive section in her cart and went out the grocery exit, passing all points of sale without paying for the items. Multiple items in the cart contained spider wraps that set off the door alarm, the report said.
The woman continued to a dark-colored vehicle in the parking lot. She loaded the items in the vehicle and entered it before multiple store employees confronted her at the vehicle and recovered the stolen merchandise. The total value of the 14 items was $357.75, according to the report.
The loss-prevention employee who reported the incident recognized the suspect from a prior contact and gave the name to the deputy. The case remains under investigation.