A 41-year-old woman was arrested after she was allegedly seen stealing shopping while using a self-checkout and attempted to flee from the police.
Leah Renee Dufour has been charged with multiple counts of felony burglary and a misdemeanour for obstructing an officer after she was caught allegedly pushing a shopping cart filled with stolen merchandise.
The incident occurred at a Walmart in Chubbuck, Idaho, on April 10, when the police were called in to assist store employees with another attempted theft.
A loss prevention employee informed the police of the situation, and an officer was shown live surveillance footage that allegedly showed Dufour taking items from her pockets and placing them in bags at the self-checkout without making any attempt to pay.
As the officer went to retrieve his citation book from his patrol vehicle, he heard another officer at the scene call out that Dufour was running, according to court records seen by East Idaho News.
When the officer looked in the direction of the exit z, he saw Dufour pushing a shopping cart full of stolen items and running away from the employees.
The officer gave chase, but Dufour continued running while yelling back at the officer.
She did eventually slow down and turn around to face the officer, but she continued to walk backwards while balling her fists, which the officer identified as a sign that she intended to fight.
A second officer arrived, and together they apprehended Dufour and placed her under arrest.
They found additional stolen merchandise in her pockets.
Dufour allegedly told the officers that she was "just trying to get some money" and that she was "just stupid as hell."
She is currently being held at the Bannock County Jail on a $15,000 bond and could face up to 11 years in prison if found guilty.
The case comes as shoplifting rates have sparked amid a rising cost of living crisis.
Ahead of the festive period in December 2022, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon had told CNBC that theft rates were "higher than what it has historically been".
Similarly, Target's Chief Financial Officer Michael Fiddelke reported that the company has experienced a 50% increase in shoplifting in 2022, leading to over $400 million in losses.
Fiddelke noted that most of the shoplifting is organized retail theft rather than petty theft.
