Getting Caught Stealing from Wal-Mart

by Joe

What happens when you steal from Wal-Mart, and make a stupid mistake like myself, and countless others? Depending on how many people you are with, how much money worth of products they find on you, and how you deal with the guards.

Let me start with my experience. It was a week or two after my 8th grade graduation, and my mom had taken me up to Wal-Mart so I could get some hair wax to spike my hair. I went in, and I got the sudden urge to just steal some hair wax also. So, I grab the hair wax that I was going to pay for, and I continue looking in the aisle for the one I was going to steal. I find the product, and I continue walking around the store for a few minutes, and I find what I think is a good blind spot(where the cameras on the ceiling cant see you, and where other customers cant see you), and I rip the canister out of the small cardboard holder it was in, and I shove it in my pocket. At this point, my heart was racing, and it felt pretty good.

I walk over to the register, I pay for my goodies, and I see a guy behind the person in back of me, with nothing to pay for(which should have given me a hint, but I wasnt thinking). The lady gives me my change and my receipt and my wax, and I continue to the front door. I get a little nervous as I approach the sensors, but get past them and that goes away, flooded with relief knowing I just successfully stole for the first time in 5 years. Then, no more than 3 seconds later, I have a full nelson(where the guy is standing in back of you, and he restrains you by putting his arms up under yours, and pushing back on your head..im sure you seen it on wrestling) pulled on me. At this point, all feeling was drained, I felt like rubber. The guy asked me if "I remember this?". I got a little sense of relief because I then thought it was one of my sisters friends because they always fuck around like that. Then, he shows me the cardboard holder and asks me if I remember it. That is when I knew I was screwed.

So, what exactly does happen to you if you steal and are stupid? Lets say you follow what I did. You stole a product which was under $5, you didnt resist the restraint(running, fighting, etc.), and you complied with everything. They will probably just ban you from the premises as they did me, and offer you to pay for the product(you wont get the product, but it will most likely keep you out of more trouble if you agree to pay). They most likely WILL NOT call the cops and have you arrested if you comply.

If you choose to run/fight back however, you better be 100% sure and hope you are successful. No, YOU BETTER BE successful. If you arent, you are screwed. You will get resisting arrest(maybe, if not, you still pissed of the secuirty guard because they had to chase you), and if you fight, you will get battery along with theft. My best friend and her friends went shopping at wal-mart for makeup and were caught. The cops were called, and they all got arrested and have a set court date. Now, this could have been avoided if they hadnt tried to steal over $100 in makeup, and the one girl hadnt tried to run, and got tackled.

Dont run if you dont have to. If it is under $5-$10, they probably wont do anything to you, so I would not advise running. You should only run if you have ALOT of products/products worth money, like electronics. Dont think about stealing these unless you have a car waiting outside, and even then be cautious, because Wal-Mart has secuirty guards patrolling the parking lot in a car, with lights on the top, so be ready for a chase, if they think its worth it.

After I was apprehended, and taken to the security room, I can vaguely remember the details(I just gotten caught stealing, and was wondering what my parents were going to say.), but I can describe from memory: There was ONE(1) medium sized(about 26in.) TV, which was split up into FOUR(4) different screens, shwoing 4 different cameras. They rotated visuals about every 10 seconds. I am pretty sure they had a book shelf of video tapes, most likely from recorded cameras. You could see products on a table by the door, which were most likely attempted to be stolen. The table was silver steel (like out of a FBI Interrogation scene you see in those movies). They asked me all my information (There is really no way out of this, unless you give them the cellphone number of a friend that is over 18(prepaid works better, since you can easily get a different number, and you have him say he is your older brother taking care of you. You give them all the wrong information, except for the first names). You're basically free after that, since there is no real way for them to track you.

Take it from me, and dont listen to others that say those black bubbles on the ceilings are empty, BECAUSE THERE NOT! Also, do NOT run unless you feel you absolutely have to. Whats the worst, a $250 fine, and maybe some community service? If you are under 18, it will most likely get wiped off your record when you hit legal age anyways, so the only thing you really have to fear is your parents.

Created: 11/27/2003 11:18 PM BY JOE K. OF ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES.