It wasn’t exactly a Black Friday deal, but one shopper at Walmart on SW Highway 200 tried to snag a five-finger discount on a blender and several LEGO sets, among other items, totaling $252.09. Unfortunately for the alleged thief, the only thing they ended up taking home was a trip to the Marion County Jail.
Victor Hugo Lopez Duron, 21, was stopped by Walmart Asset Protection Investigator Amy Flanagan after allegedly attempting to leave the store with items hidden inside a plastic container. The haul included a blender and a variety of LEGO sets, possibly an attempt to build a tower of denial.
Duron reportedly told law enforcement that financial struggles led to the incident, claiming they intended to sell the items to make a car payment. Despite confessing to the theft, Duron tried to throw deputies off the trail by giving a false name, introducing themselves as “Menlei Rodrigues” with a birthdate of April 21, 2000. The ruse didn’t last long, as jail deputies instantly recognized the suspect as Victor Hugo Lopez Duron, born May 29, 2003.
When questioned about the name mix-up, Duron reportedly claimed ignorance of the requirement to provide a legal name during an arrest — a bold statement considering they had just been caught hiding goods under the guise of a container.
The incident, captured on surveillance footage, clearly showed the suspect stashing items and skipping the final point of sale. Duron now faces charges of petit retail theft and providing false information to law enforcement, ensuring that this car payment plan was derailed faster than a runaway LEGO train.
No word yet on whether the LEGO sets were intended to construct a better alibi.
