PASADENA, Texas – A Walmart employee stole a customer's wallet and used her debit card to make purchases at the same store, Pasadena police said.
Nearly every angle of the Walmart shopping center in the 5200 block of Fairmont Parkway is covered by cameras, inside and out. Police said even under the watchful eye of the store surveillance system, employee Buddy Olvera stole from an unsuspecting customer.
Investigators said a woman accidentally left her wallet in the front basket of a shopping cart in the store parking lot. Detectives said surveillance video showed Olvera casually walk past the basket and steal the wallet.
According to investigators, Olvera came back to work later that day in different clothes, this time with a woman and two young children. After picking out a new pair of shoes and a laptop, investigators said Olvera used the victim's debit card to pay for the items. As a fellow employee completed the transaction, video showed Olvera kissing the cheek of the baby sitting in the shopping cart.
After the illegal purchase, the family walked out of the store.
Investigators said the Walmart transaction was one of several Olvera made around town.
Detectives said when they questioned Olvera, he confessed to the crime. Olvera is charged with felony credit/debit card abuse.
Walmart shoppers had strong feelings about the crime.
"Now you can't trust like hardly anybody," said Yesenia Tamez.
"People need to leave other people's stuff alone," said Sandra Field. "I think he's pretty stupid."
"You really should get this on the stupid criminals [show]," said Laura Howard.