By Bonnie Culverhouse

A Claiborne Parish resident who shops in Minden is in a Webster Parish jail for felony theft.

Shannon Gilmore, 40, of the 800 block of Airport Loop Road, Homer, is charged when she was caught on camera stealing items from a local discount store.

Det. Sgt. Jason Smith with Minden Police Department said officers were dispatched to the Homer Road location Thursday.

“They (store employees) had her (Gilmore) on misdemeanor theft,” Smith said. “So, she was issued a summons. The next day, after reviewing more tape, they realized she committed felony theft for more than $1,000.”

Smith said Gilmore was “improperly scanning” the items at a self-checkout register.

“What people like her do is take a seasoning packet or a really small, inexpensive item and hold it right next to the bar code of the more expensive item,” said the detective. “After reviewing more video, store employees could tell from the overhead cameras that it was a felony.”

Smith said the summons was recalled and Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s deputies went to her house and arrested Gilmore on a felony warrant.

“The report said she scanned five different items that rang up as 97 cents each.” Smith said, adding the department has seen this happen at least 50 to 60 times. “But you can actually see from the top-down camera what she was really scanning. Their equipment is getting pretty sophisticated, and they’re catching a lot more people.”

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.