A man accused of selecting $722.48 worth of items in a store in Linton allegedly admitted he pushed his cart out the door without paying.

A summons was sent yesterday to Stephen E. Tupper, 48, Hymera, ordering him to appear at an initial hearing in Greene Superior Court on March 8. He’s facing preliminary charges of theft, a Class A misdemeanor, and criminal trespassing, a Class A misdemeanor.

Tupper was issued an order last August prohibiting him from Walmart properties but a few days before Christmas 2020, he went shopping at the Walmart store in Linton.

Officer Janzen Franklin of the Linton Police Department was dispatched to the store on December 21 after employees reported they had stopped Tupper for shoplifting.

When Officer Franklin talked to the store’s Asset Protection Manager (APM) and an Asset Protection Associate (APA), he was told the APA had watched Tupper select numerous items from various departments in the store, including the hardware, grocery, household and sporting goods departments. The associates said Tupper then pushed his cart through a closed check-out and through the first set of doors in an attempt to leave without paying for the items.

During an initial interview, Tupper allegedly said he knew he had been trespassed from the store and he confessed to stealing the items, saying he did not have enough money to pay for them.

Officer Franklin was provided with a DVD of video surveillance footage of the incident and after reviewing the video, he said the video was consistent with the statements made by the associates.

The items allegedly taken by Tupper included multiple food items, clothing items, multiple tools and multiple household items with a total value of $722.48.