MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - It was just another peaceful Saturday afternoon in Murfreesboro when the Walmart on Memorial Boulevard became the scene of a riveting heist involving two daring suspects. The masterminds? Two women who allegedly decided that two Garfield Christmas ornaments and a couple of earrings were worth risking Walmart banishment for life.
Their covert operation unraveled when a sharp-eyed loss prevention worker noticed at least one of the culprits removing items from their packaging and performing a Penn & Teller-like act by concealing the goods on their persons. After spotting the alleged partners-in-crime, the asset protection associate summoned the long arm of the law by calling Murfreesboro Police.
Once on the scene, MPD officers were treated to a private screening of the in-store surveillance footage—a real cinematic masterpiece of amateur thievery. Moments later, officers and the in-store anti-theft agent moved in, briskly escorting the alleged thieves to Walmart's interrogation lair—also known as the loss prevention office.
Once behind closed doors, Subject #1, a 38-year-old Murfreesboro resident, voluntarily shared an intriguing tidbit with MPD: her Chrysler sedan sported an out-of-state plate. Why a local would drive around with Massachusetts tags remains a mystery, unless it was an elaborate attempt to throw off the fuzz.
As police and the asset protection specialist began to converse with Subject #1, they located one very special Garfield Christmas ornament. The collectible ornament was in a bag the woman was carrying. Also in her possession were $5 earrings, which authorities say appeared to be part of the loot gathered during her daring escapade.
Police then turned their attention to Subject #2, a 20-year-old Antioch resident who was seen on surveillance footage cranking things up a notch by allegedly hiding merchandise in her bra. However, it proved to be a vanishing act worthy of a magic show, as police were unable to locate the mysterious item during their search.
In a twist of déjà vu, Walmart’s loss prevention investigator recognized Subject #2 from a previous visit during which she had, let’s just say, not adhered to the store’s shopping policies. Apparently, her earlier performance left such an impression that she was already on their unofficial “watch list.” It wasn’t until this shopping adventure that not one, but both women earned the ultimate Walmart penalty—being trespassed from all Walmart properties. Yes, all 4,728 U.S. stores (plus 599 Sam’s Clubs, if they’ve been equally unlucky).
Walmart’s theft protection agent proved their weight in gold in this case, managing to spot and apprehend the two suspects. To wrap a bow around the holiday heist, the merchandise protection agent recovered a total of two Garfield Christmas ornaments valued at $9.48 each and two pairs of $5 earrings.
Before the curtain fell on this retail drama, police handed the store’s anti-shoplifting expert a case number, ensuring justice could eventually prevail for the misappropriated $28.96 worth of merchandise.
As for the daring duo, they were allowed to leave the property after their productive afternoon. Whether Walmart will pursue charges remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: the legendary $28.96 caper will go down in Murfreesboro lore as the Christmas ornament heist no one asked for.
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
