Woman caught stealing toys from Walmart

A 27-year-old woman was cited for shoplifting on Monday, June 25, after allegedly trying to steal about $75 in toys while shopping at a Rochester Hills Walmart store with her child. A deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office responded about 2:13 p.m. to an attempted theft at the store, located at 2500 S. Adams, and spoke with loss prevention employees. The employees said they observed the woman put several toys in her purse and conceal some items under clothing in her cart. The employees said the woman also opened a "ninja turtle" toy and hand it to her son to play with, then placed the empty packaging on a shelf. The employees said the woman went to a self-check out and paid for some items in her cart, but not the opened toy or those in her purse. She was stopped by the employees while attempting to exit the store. The deputy responding to the incident left the store prior to finishing an interview with her, due to an emergency call. The woman, of Rochester Hills, agreed to speak with the deputy later that day, and subsequently met the deputy at the sheriff's office's substation in Rochester Hills. The deputy said the woman admitted to taking the toys, including the ninja turtle toy, which she said was already partially opened, "so what would it hurt." She told the deputy she didn't pay for the items because she was short on money. The woman was processed at the substation and cited for retail fraud, then released.