A woman’s 3-month-old baby was tucked into its carrier with stolen items from Walmart Friday afternoon, Gainesville Police said.
Amanda Rae Paschen, 28, of Ocala, was accused of stashing merchandise in the carrier with the baby inside at Walmart, at 2900 SW 42nd St., according to an arrest report.
A security officer noticed Paschen stealing in the cosmetics area of the store, the report said. Paschen hid small products in the two large baby bags she was carrying, police said.
She continued to walk around Walmart while hiding products in her baby’s carrier and under the baby blanket. The items she stole were valued at $515.25, police said.
She was caught on Walmart’s surveillance footage, the report said.
The security officer and police stopped Paschen outside of Walmart at about 11:20 a.m., the report said. She told officers that she stole the items for herself and her youngest child because she didn’t have a job.
When officers asked about items that didn’t appear to be for her or the baby, Paschen told police she planned to sell them to a friend in Ocala, the report said.
Paschen was released from the Alachua County Jail Saturday afternoon without bond. She could not immediately be reached for comment.
Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo
