A Hernando County man is facing a theft charge for possessing a shopping cart belonging to the Walmart Store in Spring Hill.
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Deputy Public Information Officer (PIO) Michael Terry said that on Sept. 2, management of the Walmart store at 1485 Commercial Way in Spring Hill called to report a theft.
“Walmart called us because they thought a guy had stolen merchandise in a shopping cart,” Terry said. “As it turned out, he had personal belongings in it.”
Even so, shortly after 6:30 p.m., deputies arrested 45-year-old Joseph McWilliams and charged him with possession of a stolen shopping cart.
“By the time we caught up with him, he was at the Cracker Barrel restaurant (1371 Commercial Way) in the same shopping area,” Terry said. “He was off Walmart premises, which is what made it a crime, so we asked Walmart if they wanted to prosecute, and they did.”
According to Terry, it is not routine for retailers to prosecute those who remove shopping carts from their premises.
“But shopping carts cost several hundreds of dollars a piece, but (their theft) is hard to prove,” he said. “Deputies don’t check on a store’s shopping carts; the store has to take responsibility for the carts.”
After his arrest, McWilliams was booked into the Hernando County Detention Center, where he remains while his case is pending.
