Crime & Police

Dallas Woman Briefly Avoids Shoplifting Arrest By Abandoning Her Kids at Walmart, Police Say

Monica Meza's trips to Walmart don't always end very well. In March, the 32-year-old was detained after waltzing out of a Northwest Dallas location with a cart full of nearly $300 worth of stolen merchandise. Police say the same thing happened earlier this month at the Supercenter on Central Expressway...
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Monica Meza’s trips to Walmart don’t always end very well. In March, the 32-year-old was detained after waltzing out of a Northwest Dallas location with a cart full of nearly $300 worth of stolen merchandise. Police say the same thing happened earlier this month at the Supercenter on Central Expressway in Far North Dallas. In the former case, Meza pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft. In the latter, she’s charged with a felony.

Yesterday, Meza at least made it out of the parking lot. According to Dallas police, she took off on foot after being stopped by a loss-prevention officer as she attempted to leave a Samuell Boulevard Walmart with four DVDs, a handful of cups, a canister of Starbuck’s coffee, a hair brush, and a sweater. She was able to make it to her silver 1992 Buick and drive away.

See also: An Apple Store Thief Abandoned a Woman and Child During an iPhone Accesory Heist, Police Say

No one gave chase. It was a clean getaway, which must have been quite the coup for Meza, given recent history.

When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.

We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.

$30,000

There was only one problem. In her haste to escape, police say she left behind her shopping cart full of stolen goods, as well as the two small children who were sitting inside it.

When Meza returned an hour later to pick them up, Dallas police placed her under arrest. She is currently in Lew Sterrett on a $150,000 bond, charged with two counts of child abandonment and one of felony shoplifting.

GET MORE COVERAGE LIKE THIS

Sign up for the This Week’s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox

Loading latest posts...