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On Thursday, December 12th around 5pm, Officer Maria Bonilla was dispatched to Walmart in reference to a shoplifting incident which had just occurred. Bonilla was advised by E911 that the suspects had just left the store with two trampolines and were seen getting into a silver Ford Taurus. Captain Terry Pait was also advised of the situation and was in route to Walmart.

Both officers were traveling in the direction of Walmart and observed a silver Ford Taurus turning onto College Street. They could see that it had its trunk partially open with boxes protruding out of it. Officers Bonilla and Pait performed a traffic stop and asked the driver for his license. He replied that he didn’t have one. His name was run through the E911 system and Bonilla was advised that the driver, Kevin Powell, was unlicensed and had been previously trespassed from Walmart.

Officer Bonilla made contact with the passenger, Moniquia Jones, and found out through E911 that she had also been previously trespassed from Walmart. Officer Bonilla was advised by the Walmart Loss Prevention Officer that they had video footage showing Jones and another female subject placing two trampolines into a cart and of Jones pushing the cart out of the store.

Moniquia L. Jones, 29, was arrested and charged with Theft by Shoplifting (Felony) and Criminal Trespass.

Kevin Powell, 21, was arrested and charged with Driving Without a Valid License and Criminal Trespass.

The third suspect involved in the incident has been identified and warrants are pending.

Bainbridge Public Safety Officers respond to multiple reports of shoplifting incidents every week, and do their best to apprehend the suspects. Officers urge shoppers to report shoplifters to store personnel. Consumers shouldn’t make the assumption that because shoplifting is a common problem, store owners simply absorb the costs associated with lost inventory when actually, the store owners pass the costs of shoplifting to consumers in the form of higher prices. Ultimately, honest shoppers pay for the items that dishonest shoppers steal.