A Walmart self-checkout transaction that rang up at $105.01 allegedly should have cost more than six times that amount. Palm Beach County deputies say the June 3 transaction was part of a monthlong barcode-swapping scheme at a Walmart west of West Palm Beach.
Tammye Astrid Ovalle-Enireb was arrested on felony charges of aggravated retail theft, organized scheme to defraud, and accessory after the fact, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by CBS12.
The charges are allegations. Ovalle-Enireb has not been convicted in the case.
The June 3 Transaction Drew Walmart’s Attention
Deputies were called to the Walmart at 9990 Belvedere Road after an asset protection investigator flagged a suspicious self-checkout transaction. According to the affidavit cited in the report, a man scanned barcodes that did not belong to the items being purchased.
The result was a receipt that showed $105.01. Walmart later determined the merchandise should have cost $661.74, according to the affidavit.
The Cart Was Left Behind When the Pair Ran
Investigators said Ovalle-Enireb pushed the cart toward the exit while the man followed. When the asset protection investigator asked to check the receipt, the man handed it over.
Deputies said both suspects then ran to the parking lot and got into a green Toyota Corolla. The merchandise was left behind in the cart, which gave investigators the items and receipt tied to the June 3 incident.
Deputies Later Connected the Car to Ovalle-Enireb
The Toyota was later determined to be registered to Ovalle-Enireb, according to the affidavit. Her mother identified her in surveillance video and also identified the male suspect as Ovalle-Enireb’s boyfriend, though she did not know his name, investigators said.
The next day, a deputy found the Toyota outside a West Palm Beach apartment complex and watched a man believed to be the male suspect leave an apartment and drive away in the car. Investigators said the driver refused to stop for a marked patrol vehicle. The attempted traffic stop was terminated because of the potential danger to the public.
The Car Was Found Abandoned and Still Running
Deputies later found the Toyota abandoned with the engine still running and the keys in the ignition. Investigators said Ovalle-Enireb was then seen running from the apartment area toward where the vehicle had been found.
According to the affidavit, she was carrying what appeared to be men’s clothing and using a cellphone. She allegedly told a deputy she knew her boyfriend had fled from a traffic stop and that she was trying to find him, but investigators said she refused to identify him by name.
Walmart Records Led to a Named Co-Defendant
Walmart records showed that the credit card used in the June 3 transaction was associated with the name Daruin Joel Gutierrez. Investigators later identified the man as Daruin Joel Gutierrez De La Rosa through apartment rental paperwork and a Dominican Republic passport, according to the affidavit.
A Walmart asset protection investigator later identified Gutierrez De La Rosa in a photo lineup as the male suspect from the June 3 incident. The arrest form listed him as a co-defendant who was still at large when the paperwork was filed.
Investigators Found Five Alleged Transactions
After reviewing earlier Walmart records, investigators said they found five incidents in which Gutierrez De La Rosa allegedly scanned incorrect barcodes or failed to scan merchandise.
The alleged incidents happened on May 5, May 12, May 17, June 1, and June 3. The affidavit listed the losses as $322.68 on May 5, $99.87 on May 12, $25.81 on May 17, $190.72 on June 1, and $661.74 on June 3. Investigators said Ovalle-Enireb was present during at least the May 5, June 1, and June 3 incidents.
Ovalle-Enireb faces charges under Florida statutes for aggravated retail theft involving multiple acts totaling $750 or more within 120 days, organized scheme to defraud less than $20,000, and accessory after the fact.
Barcode Switching Leaves a Digital Trail
Retailers investigating similar losses should preserve the receipt, transaction number, surveillance video, cart contents, register logs, card information, vehicle details, license plate data, and prior transactions tied to the same payment card or people.
Shoppers should also avoid helping someone move merchandise, push a cart, or leave a store when they know the items were not properly scanned or paid for.
Suspected retail theft or organized return, barcode, or self-checkout fraud should be reported to store asset protection and local law enforcement.