An Athens-Clarke police officer has identified two shoplifting suspects believed to have stolen more than $25,000 worth of merchandise from Walmart stores in at least two states.
The investigation stemmed from a shoplifting incident on September 24 at the Walmart on Lexington Road, where a man and a woman were able to leave with a cart full of merchandise valued at $688.
The South Carolina residents visited Athens in a rented Dodge Caravan, but Sgt. Nathaniel Franco was able to take surveillance video and see that it was wearing a North Carolina license plate, the report said.
Using this information, Franco obtained information about FLOCK camera footage that showed a similar van had been driven in numerous areas in North Georgia that same day.
The tag information linked the van to a car rental company in Matthews, North Carolina, which reported to Franco that it had rented the van to a 30-year-old woman.
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The officer was then able to connect the woman to a 43-year-old friend, who had a previous address in Rock Hill, South Carolina. According to the report, both suspects had already been linked to a theft at a Walmart store in Rock Hill.
The report also shows that the shoplifting was not typical of most shoplifting cases. Police said the pair went to a cash register and purchased one item, telling the employee they had already paid for the other items.
When they tried to leave, a doorman asked for a receipt and when they didn’t have one, the employee sought help and the couple simply left with their loot, the report said.
According to Franco, Walmart Loss Prevention has linked the suspects to several thefts from Walmart stores.
The case is still under investigation.
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This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens shoplifting case linked to numerous Walmart thefts
