A man nabbed with $1,300 in stolen merchandise from Walmart said he simply wanted a “good Christmas” for his children.
Joshua Warren Smith, 42, of Fort McCoy, and Dana Lee Atkinson, 49, of Summerfield, spent about 45 minutes at the Summerfield store on Sunday evening and loaded their cart with a “multitude of items,” according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
They pushed the cart out of the store and were pursued by a loss prevention associate. Smith and Atkinson fled on foot and got into a Chrysler Town and Country minivan. They fled north on U.S. Hwy. 441, leaving behind the cart which contained $1,300 in merchandise, consisting mostly of “household items, toys and clothing,” the report said.
Atkinson claimed she had “no idea” that Atkinson was planning to steal merchandise. She claimed he told her to put “whatever she wanted” into the cart. She was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia.
Smith, who was driving on a suspended license, said he went into Walmart for food. He said he did not intend to steal, but was “just trying to make a good Christmas for his kids,” the report said.
Atkinson and Smith were both taken into custody and booked at the Marion County Jail.
