Summary
Highlights
On Christmas Day of 2024, Raldio Mendiola was found inside a closed Walmart in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The store manager discovered him after noticing he wasn't alone. Mendiola had hidden in the store from the previous night, using it for a personal shopping spree. He ignored police commands to surrender and was eventually located in the dog food section. Officers found multiple carts filled with items, totaling nearly $25,000, and damaged goods worth $1,200. Mendiola was charged with aggravated burglary, attempted larceny, criminal damage, criminal trespass, and resisting arrest, but was later released on his own recognizance and failed to appear for court.
In Norwich, Connecticut, 21-year-old Grayson Wear allegedly hid in a Walmart women's restroom and used his phone to record a 10-year-old girl under a stall. The girl reported the incident to her father, who then alerted store management. The manager confronted Wear, who denied being in the women's restroom and claimed ignorance. Police used surveillance footage to track him and discovered he worked as a janitor for a local school. Wear was arrested for voyeurism, breach of peace, and risk of injury to a minor, and was later released on a $100,000 bond. The school district suspended him.
In Canton, Ohio, a seemingly minor shoplifting incident escalated when suspect Shane Newman pulled a gun on a police officer. Newman and Katrina Jeffrey were stopped by a Stark County deputy for allegedly stealing merchandise. Newman initially gave a fake name and tried to blame Jeffrey. When the deputy discovered Newman had an active warrant for being armed and dangerous, Newman pulled out a gun and pointed it at the officer, pulling the trigger. The gun jammed, and a Walmart loss prevention officer tackled Newman. The deputy was unable to fire back due to the employee's proximity. Newman faced five charges, including attempted murder and felonious assault on an officer, and was held on a $1 million bond.
Ariana Coley and Demetrius Earl allegedly ran a large-scale scam across the country, using fake credit cards at Walmarts by pretending to be TikTok influencers. They targeted young cashiers, instructing them to manually input card numbers and process transactions as cash, effectively stealing merchandise and sometimes receiving cash back. In Bowling Green, Ohio, Walmart asset protection identified them, and police arrested them. Earl initially gave a false identity, but was eventually identified. Both faced felony and misdemeanor theft charges, and Coley was also charged with drug possession. Their car, which had no plates, contained stolen merchandise, indicating their method of fraudulently acquiring goods and then returning them for cash at other stores.
In Juliet, Illinois, 25-year-old Tyrese Gray was reported for exposing himself and pleasuring himself while following women in a Walmart. Police responded, and officers confronted Gray in the grocery section. Gray resisted arrest, leading to a struggle where pasta sauce jars were broken. Gray sustained a cut on his hand during the altercation but refused medical attention. He was charged with public indecency, resisting arrest, and criminal damage to property. Walmart banned Gray from all its stores, with the officer emphasizing the severe repercussions if he were to return.