A suspected shoplifter who blamed her actions on a family tragedy is facing possible deportation after handing police a fake ID at a Walmart in The Villages.
Erendira Peralta-Bahena, 40, of Bushnell, was arrested Sunday afternoon at the Walmart at State Road 44 and Morse Boulevard.
According to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department, an asset protection manager began watching Peralta-Bahena after observing her acting suspiciously at a self-checkout register. Surveillance footage showed her scanning multiple items but intentionally entering lower quantities into the machine before bagging the merchandise.
She attempted to leave the store without paying for $198.52 worth of items, which included a live potted orchid, ground beef, avocados, apples, and various dairy products.
After being detained and read her Miranda rights, Peralta-Bahena told police she had just received news that a family member had passed away. She claimed she was “distracted, needed to leave quickly, and was not paying attention” during the transaction.
During the arrest, she handed officers a Texas identification card bearing the name Yadira N. Castro.
However, after she was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center, jail staff contacted police to report a discrepancy. Following an interrogation over the phone with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), she ultimately confessed her real name was Erendira Peralta-Bahena. Authorities confirmed that the real Yadira N. Castro is a U.S. citizen completely unrelated to the case.
Peralta-Bahena was charged with retail petit theft and providing a false name to law enforcement. She was booked at the jail, where an ICE detainer was placed on her pending an investigation into her immigration status.