Livingston County, Mich. – A woman was arrested after she attempted, unsuccessfully, to steal from a Walmart store during a "Shop with a Cop" event that had 75 officers attending.
A Walmart employee notified one of the officers present that a woman had loaded a cart with over $730 in goods and then ran through self-checkout without paying.
Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez said that the event partners officers up with a child whose family may not be able to afford gifts during the holidays.
"We bring children that might otherwise not have a good Christmas, and they get to come to the store," said Gonzalez. "They get $100, sometimes a $150 gift card to go and shop for themselves with your family."
He said that he was shocked when he was alerted that someone might be stealing during the event.
"I do have to say, it surprised me, because when I'm driving a patrol car, people slow down," said Gonzalez. "When you see 75 cops in the store, I mean, I don't know if maybe they thought we were too busy."
After walking out with a variety of items, such as groceries and clothes, a trooper followed her out to the parking lot. Once outside, the trooper noticed that the car the woman was loading the stolen goods into was actually parked right next to a police cruiser, according to a police report.
According to police, the woman was arrested and moved to the Livingston County Jail. She was released on bond and is facing a retail fraud charge.
