Suspects:
May 13:Suspect 1: Black female, mid 30s, large build, short blonde hair, last seen wearing floral black shirt, large hoop earrings, black flip flops, black leggings
Suspect 2: Black female, mid to late 20s, medium build, shoulder length black hair, last seen wearing gray New Orleans Saints t-shirt, yellow flip flops, black leggings
May 15:
Suspect 1: Black male, mid to late 20s, short black hair and chin hair, last seen wearing white t-shirt, gray Nike shorts, gray sneakersSuspect 2: Black male, mid to late 20s, thin build, black shoulder length dreads, last seen wearing white V-neck t-shirt, black pants, white sneakers
May 17:
Suspect 1: Black male, last seen wearing dark blue polo, grey shorts, black shoes
Suspect 2: Black male, last seen wearing white and black shirt, black shorts, black shoes
Details:
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating a prevalent scam going on throughout the county where suspects are distracting store clerks and tampering with cash registers to fool employees into thinking they have paid for their items.At noon on May 13, two black females arrived at the Walmart located at 4928 Highway 674 in Wimauama and filled their shopping cart with approximately $538 worth of merchandise, including gift cards. Once they reached the register, one of the women distracted the store clerk by having her come around and scan an item in the shopping cart as the other woman, standing at the pen pad, reached across and activated the cash register tender button ("Cash Cash" button) without the clerk's knowledge. The women exited the store without paying for the items and fled in an unknown make and model gold colored 4-door sedan.
On May 15, two black male suspects in their mid to late 20's entered the same Walmart in Wimauma and filled their shopping cart with approximately $429 worth of merchandise, including gift cards. One of the suspects distracted the store clerk by requesting tobacco products while the second suspect reached across the counter and pressed the "Cash Cash" button. The suspects exited the store without paying and left in a newer model white 4-door sedan with a sunroof (possibly a Mercedes Benz).
Around 9:15 a.m. on May 17, two black male suspects filled their cart with store merchandise at the Wimauma Walmart, proceeded to the cash register, and then asked the cashier to ring up merchandise on the lower shelf of their shopping cart. One of the suspects pressed the "Cash Cash" button on the register, completing the transaction without actually paying. The total value of the items stolen was approximately $1,499.29.
In each case, the store clerks were unaware the suspects did not pay until after they exited the store.
Anyone who recognizes the suspects is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office by calling 813-247-8200. In order to be eligible for a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using our P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads and Droids. You must call Crime Stoppers first to be eligible for a reward.
