Mount Pleasant police say two women went shopping at Walmart and only paid for some items while stealing a cartful of other things.
Cietra Washington, 31, of Racine, was charged Monday in Racine County Circuit Court with one misdemeanor count of retail theft. If convicted, she faces up to nine months in jail and/or up to $10,000 in fines. Because Washington is a repeat offender, she could get extra time added to any sentence she might receive.
According to the criminal complaint, officers were called April 2 to Walmart, 3049 Oakes Road, for a report of shoplifting. When police arrived, they were told that Washington and another woman had carts full of items when they went through the self-checkout lane and only rung up $17 worth of items. The cashier assigned to those lanes noticed that each item rang up as “glass votive” for 77 cents each, with price tags that apparently were taken off glass votives in another area of the store.
Police say the second woman tried to the same thing, but a supervisor was alerted and halted the transaction. She was told she had to go to another register where a cashier rung up her items with a total of $277.62. The woman said she forgot her credit card and left the items in the line then proceeded toward the exit with Washington and her cart of items that had a total value of $217.68.
Store security stopped the women from leaving the store with the items and told them to come to the security office, the complaint reads. Washington and the woman refused and exited the store. They got into a vehicle with a temporary license plate, and when store security attempted to take a picture of it, the woman ripped it off the car.
Officers say they ran the temporary plate number and obtained the woman’s address. When they arrived to question her, she admitted shopping at Walmart on the date in question but said she was going to buy a number of things except she forgot her credit card. The woman told police she was aware that Washington steals, but she had nothing to do with Washington’s actions that day.
Investigators attempted to find Washington at her last known address, but she was not present, and an eviction notice was taped on the door. Police contacted Washington’s probation officer and apprised them of the situation, the complaint reads.
The complaint against Washington was originally filed in April, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was taken into custody Monday and assigned a $200 signature bond. Washington will next be in court Oct. 20 for a pre-trial conference.