published: Thursday, February 21, 2013

Walmart nabs shoplifters over the weekend

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@newssun.com

SEBRING -- Shoppers at the two Walmart stores in Highlands County should be careful to pay for everything they take out of the store.

Walmart personnel, with the help of law enforcement, caught one couple allegedly shoplifting in Sebring on Sunday, and one individual allegedly shoplifting in Avon Park on Friday. Each led to arrests.

On Friday, Dean Hermosillo, a resident of Wauchula, is accused of leaving the Avon Park store with $724 worth of items he did not pay for.

Confronted by the manager when he was placing the items into his vehicle, Hermosillo could not produce a receipt. The store manager began escorting him to the store, when he fled into an orange grove.

The Sheriff's Office was called and a K-9 unit dispatched. Hermosillo was found in a sandwich shop, and taken into custody.

As of Tuesday, he remains in the county jail on $2,000 bond.

Sunday, Phillip Quetot and Rachel Quetot were arrested by the Sebring Police Department for allegedly shoplifting in the Sebring Walmart.

A store loss prevention employee reported she had observed the defendants enter the store with an empty shopping cart.

The witness observed Rachel Quetot placing items from the shelves in the shopping cart.

According to the police report, Rachel Quetot concealed the items in a large black trash bag.

Phillip Quetot is alleged to have taken the items to the customer service desk with an old receipt, returning all of the stolen items for cash, except for a package of diapers, which were not accepted back.

The witness said the couple was observed returning to the diaper aisle, returning the diapers the store did not accept and taking a larger one, which, the witness said, the couple hid under a coat.

According to the police report, the Quetots proceeded to try and slip out the grocery side exit, but were stopped by store personnel.

Booked into the county jail, the Quetots were released the same day, each on $500 bond.