In what police are calling “the most unnecessarily committed shoplifting attempt of the year,” a 32-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly spending seven straight hours inside a Walmart carefully filling carts with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.
Authorities say Kara Linton, described by employees as “weirdly calm and extremely organised,” entered the store at 9:14 a.m. and blended in with Black Friday-style crowds despite it being a normal Tuesday.
Instead of grabbing items and making a run for it, Kara reportedly took her time — a lot of time.
She wandered through every department, selecting electronics, small appliances, clothes, beauty products, toys, and even a queen-sized air mattress, which she somehow squeezed onto the bottom of her cart.
Employees say she looked like a “professional shopper,” not a thief.
One worker said,
“She was polite. She said ‘excuse me’ when reaching for stuff. She even reorganised a messy shelf. Honestly, she was better than some customers who pay for things.”
But her hours-long haul caught the attention of asset protection staff, who noticed she had swapped carts three times — each more loaded than the last — and had made no attempt to approach a register.
When she finally headed toward the exit with a cart stacked like a game of retail Jenga, she reportedly told the greeter she was “doing curbside pickup.”
Loss-prevention officers intercepted her before she reached the parking lot, where police say she had a rented moving van waiting.
She was detained without incident and allegedly told officers:
“If I didn’t panic, I figured you wouldn’t either.”
The total value of goods was estimated at $3,870, making it one of the largest theft attempts the store had seen this year.
Kara faces charges of felony shoplifting and attempted fraud.
A Walmart spokesperson released a short statement:
“We appreciate shoppers who enjoy spending time in our stores — but maybe not that much time.”
