Home / Crime and Justice / Teen Handcuffed Over $5 Walmart Mix-Up
Teen Handcuffed Over $5 Walmart Mix-Up
5 Dec
Summary
- A mother claims her son was wrongly handcuffed after a Walmart theft accusation.
- The incident stemmed from allegedly unpaid items totaling $5.
- Surveillance footage and CashApp records reportedly cleared the teen.
A mother has voiced outrage after her son was forcefully apprehended by police at a Walmart in Liberty, Missouri, on November 30. The 16-year-old, Jeremiah Wortuba, was accused of shoplifting, an accusation his mother vehemently denies. She explained that a cashier had assisted her sons during checkout, and a small mix-up involving a carton of tea and some candy, totaling only $5, led to the intense police response.
Video captured by the family showed Jeremiah being handcuffed and taken into custody despite his relatives' pleas of innocence. His mother, a former Walmart employee, stated that while her older son Isaiah's entire basket was paid for, a discrepancy with nine items from Jeremiah's basket was initially flagged. However, she later produced a CashApp transaction record from the time of purchase, and eventually, Walmart's own surveillance footage confirmed Jeremiah had paid for his items.
Despite the teen being released without charges and Walmart ultimately deciding not to press theft claims, the family feels the situation was mishandled. The responding off-duty officer, working for Walmart, reported facing resistance from the family. The mother has since received an apology from Walmart's corporate office, with the company escalating the complaint for further review.
