A 64-year-old Nicholson woman struck a Dickson City patrol vehicle with her Jeep after she fled from Walmart, where store employees said she swapped barcodes to pay a cheaper price for more expensive items.
Patrolman Matthew Gallagher responded to Walmart, 900 Commerce Blvd., around 10:06 p.m. on Nov. 2 for the report of retail theft, according to a criminal complaint. On his way, Gallagher was informed that a woman was running in the parking lot toward a vehicle, police said.
The woman — later identified as Linda Carpenter through the license plate and vehicle identification number — fled in a black Jeep, officers said.
Gallagher located the Jeep on Commerce Boulevard and activated the lights and sirens on his patrol vehicle, but Carpenter went around him and drove in the middle of the road, forcing other vehicles to move out of the way, according to the criminal complaint.
When Patrolman Derek Cadwalder approached Carpenter’s vehicle, she swerved and hit his patrol car, police said.
Cadwalder then accelerated ahead of Carpenter’s vehicle and she rammed the back of his patrol car, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers pulled Carpenter out of the vehicle and placed her in handcuffs, police said.
Police could see Walmart bags and merchandise inside the Jeep, but Carpenter would not give officers her name or consent to search the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
Additionally, there was no active insurance on the vehicle and the VIN and registration came back as expired as of 2022, police said.
Officers took Carpenter back to Walmart where an asset protection associate identified her as the person responsible for the theft, saying he noticed a woman ripping barcodes off measuring cups in the home department and placing them on more expensive merchandise, according to the criminal complaint.
She did the same thing in the pet department before going to a register and scanning the items for the lower prices, police said.
When questioned about the unpaid merchandise — which amounted to roughly $253 — Carpenter left the store without talking to employees, officers said.
During a search of her criminal history, police discovered Carpenter had one prior conviction for retail theft and an active warrant for retail theft, according to the criminal complaint.
Gallagher served a search warrant on Carpenter’s vehicle Nov. 3 and found 14 SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) barcodes, two receipts from Lowe’s, several Walmart receipts (including from locations in New York), 14 items including food and houseware goods from Walmart in Dickson City, and a plastic measuring cup with a clear baggie containing a white crystal substance, later identified as methamphetamine, police said.
The asset protection associate also learned Carpenter was prohibited from entering any Walmart store, according to the criminal complaint.
Police charged Carpenter with aggravated assault, flight to avoid apprehension, retail theft, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, defiant trespass, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and summary driving violations.
As of Tuesday, Carpenter remained in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail.