5 Unhinged Walmart Shoppers Caught on Bodycam

Quick Read

From a man using a closed Walmart for a personal Christmas shopping spree to an attempted police shooting and a TikTok influencer scam, this episode details five shocking incidents captured on bodycam inside Walmart stores.
A homeless man turned a closed Walmart into his personal Christmas shopping spree, accumulating $25,000 in goods.
A shoplifting arrest escalated dramatically when a suspect pulled a gun on a deputy, only for the weapon to jam.
A couple successfully defrauded Walmart stores nationwide of nearly $250,000 by using a 'TikTok influencer' fake debit card scam targeting new cashiers.

Summary

This episode compiles five distinct incidents of criminal activity and bizarre behavior occurring within Walmart stores, captured by police bodycams and store surveillance. Cases include a homeless man hiding overnight in a closed Walmart for a massive Christmas shopping spree, a school janitor caught filming a 10-year-old girl in a women's restroom, a shoplifting suspect attempting to shoot a police officer, a couple running a nationwide 'TikTok influencer' fake debit card scam, and a man arrested for public indecency and resisting arrest in a grocery aisle.
These incidents highlight the diverse and often extreme challenges faced by retail security and law enforcement in large public spaces like Walmart. They showcase the spectrum of criminal behavior, from calculated fraud to violent resistance and public indecency, and the critical role of surveillance and bodycam footage in documenting and prosecuting these events.

Takeaways

  • A man hid overnight in a closed Santa Fe Walmart on Christmas Day, accumulating $25,000 worth of items in six shopping carts before being apprehended.
  • A 21-year-old school janitor was arrested for voyeurism after being caught filming a 10-year-old girl in a Walmart women's restroom in Norwich, Connecticut.
  • In Canton, Ohio, a shoplifting suspect attempted to shoot a deputy at point-blank range, but his gun jammed, preventing a fatality.
  • A couple, Ariana Coley and Demetrius Earl, executed a 'cash card' scam at Walmarts across the country, defrauding stores of approximately $250,000 by targeting inexperienced cashiers.
  • A man was arrested in a Juliet, Illinois Walmart for public indecency and resisting arrest, leading to a struggle in the pasta aisle.
  • Police often leverage store surveillance systems and city-wide license plate readers to identify and track suspects involved in Walmart incidents.

Insights

1Christmas Day Walmart Burglary and Shopping Spree

Raldio Mendiola, reportedly homeless, hid in a Santa Fe Walmart on Christmas Eve after the store closed. He spent Christmas Day inside, accumulating approximately $25,000 worth of merchandise, including camping gear, clothing, candy, and tobacco products, across six shopping carts. He was eventually located and arrested after a store manager discovered his presence and alerted police.

Police bodycam footage, store manager's report, Mendiola's confession of hiding under a clothes rack for two hours before the store closed.

2School Janitor Caught in Walmart Bathroom Voyeurism

Grayson Wear, a 21-year-old school janitor, was found hiding in a women's restroom at a Norwich, Connecticut Walmart for over 30 minutes. He was caught by a 10-year-old girl who saw him filming her under the stall. Walmart management confronted Wear, who then fled. Police used store surveillance and license plate readers to track and arrest him, charging him with voyeurism, breach of peace, and risk of injury to a minor.

Testimony from the 10-year-old girl and her father, Walmart surveillance video, manager's account of confronting Wear, police tracking data.

3Shoplifting Suspect Attempts to Murder Police Officer

In Canton, Ohio, a routine shoplifting stop involving Shane Newman and Katrina Jeffrey escalated violently. Newman, who had an active warrant for being armed and dangerous, pulled a gun on a Stark County deputy and pulled the trigger at point-blank range. The gun jammed, preventing the officer's death. A Walmart loss prevention officer then tackled Newman, securing him.

Deputy's bodycam footage, deputy's report, testimony from the loss prevention officer, Newman's criminal history including drug possession and domestic violence.

4Nationwide 'TikTok Influencer' Fake Debit Card Scam

Ariana Coley and Demetrius Earl operated a sophisticated scam across multiple Walmarts, defrauding stores of nearly $250,000. They targeted young, inexperienced cashiers, posing as TikTok or YouTube influencers using 'cash cards' for their earnings. They would pretend to swipe a fake card, then instruct the cashier to manually enter a number or hit 'cash' twice, completing the transaction without actual payment. They often returned the 'purchased' items at other Walmarts for real cash refunds.

Walmart asset protection employee's detailed explanation of the scam mechanics, police bodycam footage of the arrest, discovery of fake cards and stolen merchandise.

5Public Indecency and Resisting Arrest in Walmart Aisle

Tyrese Gray was observed on Walmart surveillance in Juliet, Illinois, following women and pleasuring himself in the men's clothing section. When confronted by an officer in the grocery aisle, Gray resisted arrest, leading to a physical struggle that resulted in broken pasta sauce jars and Gray sustaining a cut hand. He was charged with public indecency, resisting arrest, and criminal damage to property.

Walmart surveillance footage, police bodycam footage of the confrontation and arrest, Gray's admission of 'being stupid'.

Quotes

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"Anyone in the building, come out with their hands up or you will get dog bit."

Police Officer
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"He pointed right at my face and pulled the trigger."

Police Officer
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"It's a fake card. Well, we know that. Yeah. Been using it forever."

Walmart Employee / Police Officer
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"They look for the new people. And um this case they did go to the minor cashier. He's brand new."

Walmart Employee

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