MURFREESBORO, TN - Murfreesboro police officers responded to a call at Walmart on Old Fort Parkway, only to encounter a familiar face—a 33-year-old Smyrna woman who decided to extend her welcome beyond her expiration date. While she may have been visiting the big city of Murfreesboro for some “retail therapy,” calling the Smyrna resident a shopper might be too generous. Her trip to Walmart ended with police escorting her somewhere much less glamorous: the local jail, which is only 5 to 7-minutes away from what some call Wally-world.
The original call came from a loss prevention officer who believes they caught the woman in the act of what could be considered a one-sided Black Friday sale—walking past cash registers with a bag full of unpaid merchandise. For those unfamiliar with retail jargon, a loss prevention worker is essentially Walmart’s undercover enforcer, blending in with customers (often looking like they just came from a backyard barbecue) to prevent theft.
When officers arrived at the garden center entrance, they were directed to the suspect, who was already boxed in by Walmart employees. Apparently, she had over $400 worth of goods conveniently packed in Walmart bags, though the “receipt fairy” was nowhere to be found. After a quick search through the store's records, employees discovered that this wasn’t her first attempt at a five-finger discount. In fact, she’d pulled the same stunt nearly two years to the day at the same location. The officials MPD Police Report shows one incident occurred in October of 2022 and the other… this month (October of 2024).
During that 2022 incident, the woman was issued a no-trespass order, making it clear she was no longer welcome in *any* Walmart in the country. To solidify the ban, she even graced the notice with her signature—an autograph the police were happy to reference during her latest arrest. Apparently, she thought Walmart’s security had the memory of a goldfish. Spoiler alert: they didn’t – and they had the records to prove it.
For her return engagement, the suspect earned herself a fresh set of charges, including burglary, theft under $1,000, felony attempt, and even assault. After a scenic two-mile ride courtesy of Murfreesboro police, she landed at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, where she spent three days before posting her $6,500 bond.
If her previous run-ins with the law are anything to go by, this arrest was more of a sequel than a surprise. In addition to theft, she’s been charged multiple times for driving on a suspended license, operating an unregistered vehicle, and driving without insurance. With her court date set for November 19th, perhaps this time she’ll think twice before trying her luck again at Walmart. Or maybe she’ll hold off until October 2026 for the trifecta.
Source: MPD Incident / Arrest Report
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