MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Two women were arrested on June 17 after Mesa Police say they spent months stealing more than $100,000-worth of items from Walmart stores in several western states.
Mary Garcia, 47, and Melinda Rodriguez, 38, are facing numerous counts of Organized Retail Theft according to the Mesa Police Department.
According to Mesa PD, the investigation began in March of 2021 when Walmart Loss Prevention noticed a series of unusual transactions involving an in-store scanning app. The suspects would enter each store and scan the items using a smartphone so they could use the quick pay at checkout.
Once they reached the checkout, payment was avoided and they would walk out with the unpaid merchandise by giving the appearance that they were paying for the items by using the app, Mesa PD said.
According to the department, Garcia was responsible for approximately $72,000 worth of stolen items and Rodriguez was responsible for roughly $34,000 in Maricopa County Walmarts alone.
