A Warsaw woman is facing eight charges after allegedly using a dental floss UPC sticker to scan and steal items from Walmart several times.
Latisha R. Hernandez, 25, of 108 N. Rebecca St., Warsaw, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 11:08 p.m. Thursday and faces four counts of making a false sales document, Level 6 felonies; and four counts of theft, Class A misdemeanors.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed Sept. 4 in Kosciusko Superior Court III, Warsaw police responded to a theft report at Walmart and were told by the loss prevention officer at the store that Hernandez and another woman, identified as Tea Peltz, had been using UPC stickers off of cheap items to self-scan expensive items.
According to court papers, Peltz and Hernandez entered the store on June 16 and used a cheap UPC sticker to self-scan food items. On June 27, Hernandez entered the store and selected household items to self-scan using a UPC sticker off of a candle for $.50.
On July 7, Peltz, Hernandez and Jamey Roberts entered Walmart, selected three diffusers valued at $39.87 and other household items then used the UPC sticker off of dental floss for $.48 to scan 22 of the 35 items in their cart, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Hernandez then went to the service desk and returned the items with no receipt and received a store gift card for $151.31.
On July 11, Peltz and Hernandez entered the store and used the dental floss UPC sticker to scan clothing and cosmetics and used the store gift card received on July 7 to pay for the items.
On July 13, Peltz entered the store and proceeded to use the same scheme to purchase clothing and food items.
The total loss to Walmart was $547.44, according to court papers.
Peltz, 21, Plymouth, was arrested July 20 for theft and two outstanding warrants. She has two pending criminal cases for theft and making false sales documents in Kosciusko Superior courts II and III.
Hernandez was released on $6,000 bond and is due in court at 1 p.m. Oct. 3.
