A 17-year-old Howell teen returned items for cash at the Genoa Township Walmart on Dec. 3, but the items were never paid for in the first place, according to a police report.
The teen found Walmart receipts laying on the ground, then entered the store and selected items on the receipt, then took them to the customer service desk to return them for cash, the report said.
The teen attempted the same thing on a different date, but tried to return prepaid cards from the shelf. Since the cards are not activated until purchase, it raised red flags when he attempted to return unactivated cards, according to the report.
Police said they located the teen inside the store with two more wrinkled, dirty Walmart receipts and he told them he found them on the ground and picked them up to throw them away, the report said.
The teen told police he stole the items because he recently lost his job at Burger King, the report said.
Items exchanged included MACH 3 razor replacement cartridges and Tide laundry capsules. Both items were valued at $46.05.
Woman charged with retail fraud
A 29-year-old Howell woman was charged with retail fraud at the Genoa Township Meijer on Dec. 8, according to a police report.
Meijer Loss Prevention officers told police they witnessed the woman conceal merchandise then leave the checkout area without paying, according to the police report.
The concealed merchandise totaled $50.36 and included food, make-up, over-the-counter medicines and more.
Police find stolen jewelry, make-up and alcohol on 18-year-old
An 18-year-old Howell woman was charged with retail fraud at the Hartland Walmart on Nov. 30, according to a police report.
A Walmart Loss Prevention employee told police he recognized the woman from prior incidents in the store and watched her pass all points of sale with jewelry and make-up totaling $30.94, the report said.
Police said the woman left her identification in her car, and told them they would find two bottles of vodka also in her car that she had stolen from her mom when they went to get her driver's license, according to the report.
Where do people get the gall to think they're entitled to steal, in some cases repeatedly? It's not enough we've got "big shots" ripping us off every day? Or maybe that's what makes some of us regular folk feel entitled to take what's not theirs. To see three stories in a row reported like this is discouraging. Gotta make you wonder - for every one that gets caught, how many didn't? Ugh. Thieves stink.