Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald:
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – An alleged Walmart shoplifter was located by police after store associates realized that on top of under scanning items she also used her son’s employee discount card during the theft.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, an officer was dispatched at about 3:03 p.m. to Walmart at 755 S. 20th Ave. regarding a serial shoplifter. Video footage showed a woman fail to scan multiple items at a self-checkout register and instead bagged them up like they had been scanned.
According to store surveillance footage, in addition to the incident Sept. 12, the shoplifter had under scanned and stolen items while using the self check-out registers at least three other times. Video footage showed the woman, later identified as Jessica Gonzales, fail to pay for 27 items worth $95.09 on Aug. 8; 11 items on Aug 16 worth $58.91; and 18 items on Aug. 24 worth $80.72.
A store associate also advised that Gonzales had used an employee discount card to further reduce her bill. Upon questioning, the employee advised that the woman in the video was his mother, but he declined to identify her further.
The officer then went to the employee’s listed home address and located Gonzales exiting a maroon car. The officer recognized her from the surveillance footage and after a short conversation advised that she would be given a citation for shoplifting and that she was now trespassed from Walmart.
Gonzales initially refused to prove her identification to the officer, but after being advised that she could either show her ID or go to jail, she acquiesced.
Gonzales was then given a citation for three counts of shoplifting and the officer advised her of her rights going forward.
