**Speedy Gonzalez Arrested for $20K Walmart Theft Spree**
In an odd turn of events, a man named Speedy Gonzalez has been apprehended and charged with stealing over $20,000 worth of goods from Walmart stores in northern Georgia. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the 40-year-old Gonzalez allegedly used a clever tactic at the self-checkout by placing costly items in a cheap container and only scanning the cheaper large item, while the smaller hidden items went unnoticed.
Lt. Kevin Holbrook of the Gainesville Police mentioned that Gonzalez targeted items like nicotine products, gum, and diabetic strips, all of which are relatively small but high-priced. He would then select a larger item from the shelves, such as a trash can or a mailbox, and conceal the stolen items within it. By paying for the larger item, Gonzalez managed to walk out of the store with much more than he had paid for.
Authorities caught wind of Gonzalez’s activities following a string of thefts, leading to his arrest 10 days after his alleged spree in March. He is accused of committing over 20 thefts across several counties in Georgia. Gonzalez, residing in northeast Atlanta, was taken into custody by the Hall County jail and is now facing a series of federal charges, as reported by the Gainesville Police Department.
This isn’t Gonzalez’s first brush with the law, as he was previously arrested in April 2020 for stealing checks from a mailbox in Gwinnett County. He attempted to make purchases totaling $3,000 at a local Home Depot with the stolen funds, resulting in a delayed arrest by law enforcement.
Utilizing a common shoplifting technique at the self-checkout, Gonzalez managed to carry out his alleged crime spree at various stores in northern Georgia. Interestingly, his name bears a striking resemblance to the famous Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales, a swift mouse donning an oversized yellow sombrero.
Social media users found humor in Gonzalez’s situation after news of his arrest spread. Comments on the Gainesville Police Department’s Facebook post ranged from jests about his name to playful suggestions for a new alias, highlighting the ironic nature of his predicament.
