An Ohio man with a loaded gun was arrested Monday after an incident at Wal-Mart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages.
James Andrew Beckett, 34, of Williamsfield, Ohio, pushed a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise at about 3:30 p.m. out of the grocery store side of the building and was confronted by a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy. Beckett started to push the cart directly at the deputy, but then turned away. The store’s loss prevention officer saw Beckett pull out a gun and toss it into the bushes. It was later determined the gun had a round in the chamber.
The shopping cart contained $405.85 in merchandise, including a pressure washer, 24-pack of Keystone Light beer, orange juice, bleach and Purple Power cleaner. Beckett had in his pocket a cell phone stolen from the store, according to the arrest report.
Beckett was also found to be in possession of a pipe in the shape of a spark plug which contained marijuana residue.
The deputy also discovered that Beckett is a convicted felon. He was convicted in 2014 in Ohio of illegal manufacture of drugs.
He was taken into custody on multiple charges and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $56,000 bond.
