A woman was arrested Monday afternoon following a theft at the Summerfield Wal-Mart last month where an employee identified her through Facebook.
Megan Lynne Bateman, 27, was taken into custody in the 5800 block of SE 140th Street and booked into the Marion County Jail on a charge of larceny/petit theft (third or subsequent offense). She was released Monday night shortly before midnight on $2,000 bond.
Bateman is accused of switching price tags on items at the Wal-Mart, located at 17961 S. U.S. Hwy. 27/441, on June 29. A loss prevention officer said she and another man, believed to be her husband, went through the self-checkout line and used price tags that were supposed to be attached to felt on other items. Two of the felt price tags were for 23 cents and the other was for 93 cents, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office report states, adding that the value of the items taken – a can of freon, a can of tire shine and a closet organizer – was $55.03.
The loss prevention officer said he confronted Bateman and the man as they were leaving the store. He said the man cursed at him, said he paid for the items and told him that he “has more money” than the loss prevention officer makes in a month.
Bateman and the man then left in a silver Dodge RAM pickup truck with black wheels. The loss prevention officer said he didn’t get their license plate number but did get their Facebook profiles from another employee who recognized them.
Video surveillance of the incident shows Bateman scanning the items and placing them in her shopping cart. The man gives her cash and she pays for part of the purchase with a debit card and the other part in cash, the report says, adding that Bateman was sought in the case because she is the one who scanned and purchased the items.
A criminal background check shows that Bateman was convicted of retail grand theft twice in Lake County in 2017. Records also show that she was arrested in September 2017 on Lake County warrants regarding retail grand theft. She had been arrested in May 2017 by Lady Lake Police officers after allegedly attempting to steal more than $300 in merchandise from Belk at La Plaza Grande in The Villages.
