Police reported that a 24-year-old woman named Sophia Malak returned to a Wisconsin Walmart on Saturday to steal additional items, making an “astonishing display of bad timing” according to authorities.
The Hartford Police Department stated they were in the midst of a charity event involving numerous officers when one officer spotted Malak among them. The department noted that she walked straight into Walmart during the holiday season when the store functions as a “satellite police station.”
A Facebook post from the department described the situation with the phrase: “Santa definitely made a note in the Naughty List ledger.”
Police identified Malak after she had previously stolen approximately $600 worth of merchandise from the same store three days earlier. During her initial interview, Malak claimed she was shopping for her children but later admitted to planning further thefts before encountering police and altering her plans.
Authorities discovered $900 in stolen toys in her vehicle. The police department confirmed that while the incident prevented another large theft, their event proceeded without disruption. They also noted the charity event succeeded due to Walmart providing space, Wellspring Church volunteers wrapping gifts for children who shopped with officers, and the presence of Hartford Police Cadets.
The department added that six randomly selected children who visited the store during the event received free bicycles and helmets.
