Two women who allegedly arrived early on the Fourth of July at a store in Linton, carrying big purses with the intention of shoplifting, have been arrested.

Pamela Kay Worth, 57, Dugger, was arrested on Monday, July 26. She was booked in at 8:45 a.m.

Heather Nicole Yake McCampbell, 35, Linton, was arrested on Tuesday, July 27. She was booked in at 6:26 p.m.

Warrants were issued for both women last week following an investigation by Officer Debbie McDonald of the Linton Police Department into a shoplifting incident that occurred on Sunday, July 4.

McDonald was dispatched to the Walmart store in Linton around 8 a.m. that Sunday. When she talked to one of the store’s Asset Protection Associates, he said Worth and McCampbell were waiting in the parking lot before the store opened at 6 a.m. After opening, both came in and started selecting items, putting them in their purses.

When McCampbell was leaving the store, the APA stopped her to talk to her about the items in her purse that she hadn’t paid for. Meanwhile, Worth left the store and the APA explained Worth had paid for some items but still had some unpaid items in her purse.

When Worth left, she pushed her shopping cart towards Burger King where Officer McDonald located her behind the dumpster wall and asked her to return to the store.

The unpaid items were removed from the purses and returned to the store and they were then interviewed at the police department.

Worth said she and her daughter-in-law, McCampbell, went to the store before opening and took large empty purses with them. She allegedly admitted they had every intention of shoplifting. She said she knew what was going on when McCampbell was stopped so she left and went to Burger King and was trying to decide what to do when Officer McDonald found her.

McCampbell said she caught on to the APA watching her and allegedly said she wanted someone to stop her.

The value of the items that Worth had concealed totaled $100.02. The value of the items that McCampbell had concealed totaled $104.95.

According to Officer McDonald, Worth was previously convicted of theft in 2015 in Greene Superior Court, and McCampbell was previously convicted of theft in 2011 in Greene Superior Court.

Bond for both women was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. Worth posted $400 and was released the same day as her arrest. As of late Wednesday afternoon, McCampbell had not yet posted bond and remained in jail.

Both women are being charged with theft – defendant has a prior conviction for theft, a Level 6 felony.