BEDFORD – A Bloomington woman was arrested Friday night after police said she left the Bedford Walmart with $491.03 in merchandise that had not been paid for.
Jennifer East, 38, of Bloomington, faces a theft charge with a prior conviction, according to a Bedford Police Department probable cause affidavit prepared by Officer Sarah Haluda.
Haluda was dispatched to Walmart at approximately 9:40 p.m. Oct. 9 after store asset protection employees detained East on suspicion of theft. Employees told police they wanted to pursue charges and that East had recently been trespassed from the Bloomington Walmart following similar shoplifting incidents.
East told Haluda she intended to pay for all the merchandise but became distracted by one of her children. She also said she had money to pay for the items, according to the affidavit.
However, a review of store surveillance footage showed East placing merchandise into separate bags, putting one item in each bag before starting another. She then piled the bags on top of the remaining merchandise in her cart, covering larger items and other unpaid merchandise, the affidavit states.
The footage showed East attempting to pay for some of the items but being unable to complete the transaction. A friend who was shopping at the store then used a payment card to pay the remaining balance on East’s transaction before moving on to her own purchases.
According to police, East left the checkout area with a full cart and did not attempt to pay for the remaining merchandise. The unpaid items totaled $491.03. Surveillance footage showed store employees stopping East as she left the checkout area.
East told police her friend had met her at Walmart after asking her to pick up groceries for the friend’s mother. East said the two shopped separately and interacted at checkout while attempting to use multiple payment methods for their purchases.
Police also discovered East had a prior theft conviction from Lawrence County in 2020. That conviction is the basis for the enhanced theft charge listed in the affidavit.
East was issued a trespass notice barring her from the Bedford Walmart and signed a form acknowledging the notice, according to police.
After family members arrived to take custody of her children, East was transported to the Lawrence County Jail. She was taken into custody on Oct. 9.
The charge is an allegation, and East is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
