A Kissimmee woman, Julie Ann Velez, 44, was arrested after allegedly mis-scanning merchandise at a Walmart in Leesburg.
According to the Leesburg Police Department, loss prevention associates at Walmart on Citrus Boulevard observed Velez and a female companion at a self-checkout register around 10:10 p.m. Monday. Security footage reportedly showed Velez scanning items incorrectly before placing them in a shopping cart.
When confronted near the store’s entrance, her friend stopped, but Velez allegedly left the unpaid merchandise behind and drove away in a silver 2018 Jeep SUV.
Authorities later located Velez at El Sereno Apartments in Eustis with assistance from the Eustis Police Department. Officers reported seeing her and her husband move toward the back of the apartment after police announced their presence. She was detained shortly afterward.
Velez was charged with retail petit theft (one prior conviction) and retail theft for allegedly resisting a merchant. She was booked into the Lake County Jail and later released after posting a $2,000 bond.
