A 66-year-old man with two prior retail theft convictions was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly stole a battery jump starter from a Walmart in Ocala.
On Sunday, July 16, an MCSO deputy responded to the Walmart located at 34 Bahia Avenue in Ocala in reference to a theft incident that occurred two days earlier on Friday, July 14. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a loss prevention associate who advised that a man had grabbed a jump starter ($160 value) and exited the store without making any attempts to pay for it, according to the arrest report.
The deputy reviewed the store’s video surveillance from the time of the incident. The MCSO report stated that an older white male with a white beard, black-rimmed glasses, and longer white hair was observed grabbing the jump starter from a shelf, and he entered a restroom with the item in his possession. Several moments later, he left the restroom without the item in his hand, and he proceeded to walk past all registers and out of the store.
Once in the parking lot, the man entered a gold sedan, and the vehicle drove away from the store. The loss prevention associate told the deputy that the packaging for the jump starter was found in the restroom after the incident occurred, and the suspect was identified as Wally James Heath.
The deputy noted in the report that investigative techniques were utilized to locate a residence for Heath. Upon arrival at a home in the 12200 block of SE 74th Terrace, the deputy observed a gold sedan that matched the vehicle that Heath had entered in the store parking lot following the theft.
At the residence, the deputy made contact with a man who advised that he had driven Heath to the store on the day of the theft. The man told the deputy where Heath could be located, and the deputy made contact with Heath in the 20600 block of SE 156th Street. After being read his Miranda rights, Heath denied the allegations that he had committed the theft, according to the MCSO report.
A criminal history search of Heath revealed that he has two prior convictions for retail petit theft, in 2017 and 2022, and both convictions were in Marion County.
Heath was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for petit theft from a merchant (third or subsequent offense).
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 15, according to jail records.