Police: Serial shoplifters steal $10K in merchandise
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SOUTH JACKSON — Thousands of dollars in merchandise is stolen from a Jackson Walmart in what police are calling an elaborate shoplifting scheme. Those police say are responsible are now behind bars, and officers say this wasn’t the first time they’ve targeted a store in West Tennessee. Police are calling the pair serial shoplifters. The man and woman are now housed at the Madison County Jail. But before they were caught, officers say they stole more than $10,000 worth of merchandise and may be connected to similar thefts in Jackson and West Tennessee. “They are serial shoplifters or professional shoplifters,” Lt. Jeff Shepard with the Jackson Police Department said. “They tend to travel through different cities and commit the same crime.” But this dynamic duo’s shoplifting scheme came to an end Monday night. “We had adjusted the hours of a few of our investigators so they could be there in the wee hours of the night,” Lt. Shepard said. “They came in and set up surveillance and caught them in the act.” Dozens of cameras cover the south Jackson Walmart, inside and out. They caught Netanya Noonan’s and Courtney Hayes’ every step. “They were just going about the store like anyone would shop,” Shepard said. “Then they were concealing the merchandise in a wicker basket or a garbage can.” In the video, Noonan can be seen opening a box filled with new merchandise and emptying it. Seconds later, she can be seen filling the box with dozens of other items, trying to conceal them. “They were stealing stuff like Tide laundry detergent,” Shepard said. “Things you wouldn’t think, but it’s something that is somewhat expensive and you can trade it almost anywhere.” Other shoppers say thieves like these end up costing them more money. “They go in there and swipe it and run out the door with it,” Walmart shopper Bobby Jones said. “Naturally, Walmart loses money on it and charges us more.” Police say they’re trying to connect the pair to a number of other theft cases in the area, putting an end to their stealing frenzy. “When you steal something, you’re going to hell anyway,” Jones said. Investigators said Noonan and Hayes were known for using a getaway car and that it was easier to track them because they used the same one almost every time. If you recognize the pair and believe they may have stolen from another business in West Tennessee, call the Jackson Police Department at 731-425-8400.
