A couple was arrested this week after allegedly shoplifting at the Palm Coast Walmart and subsequently lying to deputies, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday. 40-year-old Daytona Beach resident Louis Watson and 52-year-old Maggie Bennett of Bunnell are suspected of wheeling a shopping cart full of merchandise out the front door.
According to the FCSO, Deputy Patrick Holtzclaw was in the Walmart store when he was told by the store’s loss prevention team about a suspected theft. The couple was said to have tried to take their shopping cart of products out the door without paying for it, and fled when they were confronted. Deputy Holtzclaw then reportedly followed the couple outside and located them in a car pulling onto Palm Coast Parkway.
Holtzclaw and other deputies questioned Watson and Bennett about the alleged shoplifting, at which point Watson was said to have repeatedly changed his story about what happened. He was not able to give a reason that he’d walk out of the store without paying, the FCSO says.
Bennett, meanwhile, was reportedly in the back seat with several bags of Walmart products but no receipts to show for them. She’s said to have given deputies a false name at first, before they were able to ascertain her identity. Both her and Watson also reportedly denied knowing one another.
Both individuals turned out to have outstanding warrants in neighboring counties. Watson was wanted for failure to pay child support in Volusia County, while Bennett was wanted for violation of probation in Putnam County. Watson was charged with shoplifting, providing a false name to law enforcement and booked on $970 bond. Bennett was also charged with shoplifting and providing a false name to law enforcement plus her prior charge, and was booked without bond.
“This couple learned [the] hard way that you can’t steal from a store in Flagler County and expect to get away with it,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “We don’t put up with that here. They also couldn’t get away with trying to lie to our deputies, who are well-trained to get to the bottom of this case.”
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
