A Village of Rio Ponderosa man was arrested for the second time this year after a theft at a Wal-Mart store.
James Wallace, 54, on Thursday afternoon reportedly pushed a cart loaded with merchandise out of the Wal-Mart store in Leesburg, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Wallace, who had not paid for the merchandise, was spotted by a store employee who alerted police.
Wallace was hiding behind a black Kia Sorento in the store’s parking lot when he was found by a police officer. Wallace had the cart full of merchandise and none of it was in plastic Wal-Mart bags. The Chicago native was asked for a receipt and admitted he did not have one. The items had a value of $454.39.
He was arrested on a charge of retail theft and booked at the Lake County on $2,000 bond.
Wallace had been arrested in January at the Wal-Mart in Summerfield after he stole four cases of beer, two bags of chips, four bungee cords and two tarps. He has five other arrests for theft.
