Dec. 2—A Decatur couple and an Athens woman leave a Spring Avenue Walmart with more than $1,000 in unpaid items in their shopping carts in separate incidents ahead of the holiday season, according to a Decatur police affidavit. It is said that he came out.
Robin Lee Bachman, 54, and Kewa Bachman, 52, were each held Friday in the Morgan County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail on charges of third-degree robbery. Kewa Bachman was arrested on Wednesday and Robin Bachman was arrested on November 20th.
On Oct. 27, Walmart reported a theft to the Decatur Police Department from its store in the 2800 block of Spring Avenue, S.C.
Walmart said the man and woman “failed to purchase two HP 15 computers, two Razer Deathadder V3 PRO gaming mice, and two trays of cupcakes, valued at a total of $1,311.96, before passing through the final aisle.” reported. 9 Property Crimes Division Detective Affidavit.
According to the affidavit, a Walmart Asset Protection employee recognized the couple as Robin and Kewa Bachman from previous thefts at the store.
According to Morgan County arrest reports, the Bachmans were arrested on theft charges during the week of April 24-30.
Police confirmed that the Bachmanns were advised not to enter Walmart on April 30, according to the affidavit. Police also positively identified the couple by comparing previous jail photos with Walmart security video.
Third-degree theft is a Class C felony and is defined as unlawfully entering or remaining in a building with the intent to commit a crime. Class C felonies in Alabama are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
In July 2022, Redstone Federal Credit Union filed a civil lawsuit against the Bachman family in Morgan County District Court. The Bachmanns withdrew thousands of dollars from their bank accounts, according to the complaint.
“The account was debited for $4,794.66 on or about November 10, 2021, and the defendants failed or refused to reimburse plaintiffs for their losses,” the complaint states.
The credit union also sought repayment of attorney’s fees and interest on the allegedly delinquent amounts, totaling $6,392.99.
A copy of the Bachman family’s checking account application is attached to the complaint, signed by Kewa Bachman as account owner and Robin Bachman as co-owner.
The credit union filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit for unspecified reasons, a motion granted by a judge on Nov. 17.
An Athens woman was released Thursday night from the Morgan County Jail where she had been held for 10 days on a charge of second-degree retail theft. Her bond was set at $2,500.
Tracy Lynn Ramirez, 53, was arrested at the Spring Avenue Walmart on Nov. 20 by an off-duty Decatur police officer who was guarding the store at the time, according to an affidavit sworn by Compton on Nov. 22. Arrested by Malachi Compton. .
“Tracy Ramirez drove past the last department while pushing a shopping cart containing approximately 70 items that she had not paid for,” the affidavit states. The dollar amount of her merchandise was $1,025.11.
Ramirez made his first appearance before Morgan County District Judge Sherry Waters on Nov. 22, and the judge noted in a signed order that Ramirez was charged with a felony.
Retail theft is a relatively new offense that went into effect across the state on Sept. 1 after the Legislature approved the Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act, which aims to provide stiffer penalties for retail theft.
Prior to the new law, theft from retailers was broadly categorized as first-, second-, third-, or fourth-degree theft based on the value of the stolen merchandise. I was there.
Violations of the new criminal law still carry penalties based on the value of the property, but prosecutors can also increase the severity of the crime based on the cumulative value of stolen property over a specific period of time.
Retail theft between $500 and $2,500 is a second-degree crime and a class C felony.
Under the old law, the theft of merchandise valued at less than $1,500 was punishable by third-degree theft, a class D felony.
Ramirez requested and was granted a public defender, citing substantial hardship, records show. She is scheduled to appear in court again on February 8th.
Thefts are not uncommon at the Spring Avenue Walmart. In September, 10 people were charged with retail theft after attempting to steal from a store.
A deposition from a Walmart asset protection investigator describes a variety of tactics used by the perpetrators, including simple shoplifting, removing price tags and failing to scan all items at self-checkout kiosks.
— david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. @DD_DavidGambino