A shoplifting incident at the Princeton Walmart took an unusual turn Tuesday night when a Gilbertsville man left the store on a mobility scooter.
Princeton Assistant Police Chief Shane Allision says officers responded to the Walmart on US Highway 62 West just before 9 p.m. after receiving reports of a shoplifting suspect leaving the store on one of the company’s mobility shopping scooters.
He says officers spotted the suspect, 63-year-old James Patten, operating the scooter on the shoulder of the highway about a quarter-mile away from the store.
According to officers, Patten was wearing clothes with the store tags attached when he was stopped. Police say he also had several unpaid items from the store in addition to the stolen mobility scooter.
Patten was taken into custody and charged with shoplifting and theft of the scooter. He was lodged in the Caldwell County Jail.
