A Leesburg man was arrested on theft charges after using Walmart’s own app to return two stolen items for cash.
An officer responded to Walmart, located at 2501 Citrus Boulevard, regarding a retail theft on Tuesday, June 18, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officer met with the complainant, a loss prevention employee, in the store’s parking lot. He advised that a man, whose description was later found to match 35-year-old Derrick Lavell Harris, was inside the store earlier and stole a bottle of lotion and a box of glass lens wipes by walking past all points of sale without paying. He then entered the customer service department and returned the two items in exchange for cash by using a digital receipt on his cellphone, the report said.
The complainant requested prosecution and informed the officer that Harris was traveling westbound on foot near the store’s sidewalk. The report noted that the complainant’s coworker was near the sidewalk and directed officers to Harris. The officer then spoke with Harris, the report said.
Harris was informed why law enforcement was speaking with him, and he was physically detained in handcuffs. During this process, he uttered that he was confused why officers were with him because he was only inside the store to buy a new cell phone. The officer subsequently transported him back to the store’s loss prevention officer, the report said.
While inside the office, the complainant displayed Harris returning the stolen items on the video surveillance system. The complainant reconfirmed prosecution, provided a paper copy of the receipt containing the cost of the individual items, and completed a sworn written statement. They also requested that Harris be trespassed from that location, the report said.
The total cost of the stolen items was $13.26. Dispatch also informed the officer that Harris had two prior theft convictions from Dec. 2021 and Nov. 2022, the report said.
As a result, Harris was arrested, and a search of his person was conducted. A glass smoking pipe with burnt residue inside was found wrapped in a cloth rag inside his left pant pocket during the search, the report said.
Harris was then taken to LPD’s adult booking where he was read his rights and agreed to speak with the officer. He took a picture of a paper receipt from Walmart, entered the barcode on the receipt into Walmart’s mobile app and observed what items were purchased from that receipt. He then went into Walmart to get those items and return them for cash. The glass pipe found in his pant pocket was used to smoke methamphetamine at an earlier date, the report said.
The Illinois native was charged with petit theft (two or more prior convictions), retail theft (use of fraudulently obtained OR) and drug paraphernalia (possession or use). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,500 bond.
