A local woman is facing a theft charge after authorities allege she failed to pay for merchandise while using a self-checkout lane at a retail store.
On June 12, officers with the Ottumwa Police Department were dispatched to Walmart, located at 1940 Venture Drive, in reference to a reported theft.
According to a criminal complaint, 35-year-old Tariah White of Ottumwa entered the store and committed a theft while using the self-checkout area.
Court documents allege that White intentionally failed to scan several items in her shopping cart before proceeding through the checkout. The complaint states she passed all points of sale without paying for the merchandise and was subsequently stopped by store staff.
The total value of the stolen items was reported to be less than $300.
White was transported to the Wapello County Jail and later released.
She is charged with Fifth-Degree Theft, a simple misdemeanor. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for July 16.
Editors Note: All information was obtained from court documents related to the ongoing investigation.
