Two women, Mary Garcia and Melinda Rodriguez, have been arrested after months of stealing from Walmart stores in several western states.
Garcia, age 47, and Rodriguez, age 38, were arrested on June 17, 2021 and face numerous counts of Organized Retail Theft.
According to the Mesa Police Department, “the investigation began in March of 2021 when Walmart Loss Prevention noticed a series of suspicious transactions involving an in-store scanning app. The suspects would enter the stores and scan the items using a smart phone in order to use the quick pay at the checkout. The problem was once they reached the checkout, payment was bypassed, and they simply walked out with the unpaid merchandise. By using the app, the suspect gave the appearance that they were paying for the items.”
Working with Walmart Loss Prevention, the suspects were tracked using the same tactic for thefts in Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado and Texas. In Maricopa County alone, Garcia was responsible for approximately $72,000 and Rodriguez approximately $34,000 in stolen items.