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LAKELAND, Fla. - A Lakeland police trainee found himself on the other side of the law and out of a job after investigators say he stole items from a Winter Haven Walmart.
The backstory:
According to the Lakeland Police Department, officers with the Winter Haven Police Department were called to Walmart at 7450 Cypress Gardens Boulevard Southeast shortly before 6 p.m. last Wednesday to investigate a shoplifting incident.
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Police say a Walmart asset protection employee saw Officer Huascar Evangelista Vargas, 27, failing to scan items while utilizing a self-checkout register.
He was also observed scanning a lower-priced produce item for a more expensive one, according to officers.
Huascar Evangelista Vargas mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Police say Vargas was found to have paid for a total of $83.80 worth of merchandise but did not pay for $124.50 in food and household items.
He was arrested for misdemeanor shoplifting and taken to the Polk County Jail.
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LPD said that Vargas resigned, but if he didn’t, he would have been fired.
Timeline:
Vargas was sworn in by the Lakeland Police Department on November 1, 2024, and was most recently in the field training program.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Lakeland Police Department.
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