An Ocala man was charged with stealing from Wal-Mart after he allegedly failed to scan several items at the self-checkout station and left the store without paying.
Freddy Pacheco, 29, of 500 SW 33rd Ave. Apt. 39B, was charged Wednesday with retail petit theft (second offense) from the store, located at 2600 SW 19th Ave. Road. He was also charged with resisting arrest after leading an Ocala Police officer on a foot chase before being apprehended, according to the OPD report.
When the officer arrived, a security employee described a Hispanic male in a black jacket and black pants and a Hispanic female with a white jacket who had fled from the store. The suspects were last seen in the area of the nearby Applebee’s restaurant, the report said.
Another officer saw a man fitting the description provide – later identified as Pacheco – behind Applebee’s and tried to detain him. Pacheco ran through several empty parking lots with two officers chasing him before surrendering on the sidewalk of SW 27th Avenue. The security employee positively identified Pacheco as the man who committed the theft, according to the report.
Surveillance footage at the store showed Pacheco, accompanied by an unknown female, at the self-checkout area. The female is seen scanning small items while Pacheco is bagging more expensive items in the cart without scanning them. They paid for the items they scanned and proceeded to the main grocery exit, passing all points of sale, the report said.
The security employee approached Pacheco and the woman near the door, and the woman said they had paid for everything. The employee grabbed the grocery cart and asked them to come to her office, but Pacheco and the woman walked out of the store and ran towards Applebee’s, according to the report.
The total value of the items in the cart was $215.78, and $149.37 was not paid for. Pacheco refused to answer any questions and was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Thursday on $2,000 bond. A court date was not set.