A suspected shoplifter was arrested after sneaking out of Walmart with a cartload of merchandise.
Kenneth Edward Farris, 56, of Lady Lake, at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday entered the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages. He had been lingering near the benches at the exit and waited for the Walmart employee to turn around, providing him with the opportunity to sneak out with a cart loaded with merchandise for which he had not paid, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. He got into a blue Nissan Sentra and a store employee was able to take a photo of the car’s license plate before Farris drove away.
The car was spotted at about 1 a.m. Sunday on U.S. Hwy. 441 and Farris was taken into custody. He admitted to stealing the merchandise from Walmart. A criminal history check revealed a previous shoplifting conviction in Kentucky.
He was arrested on a charge of theft and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $1,000 bond.
