WREG.com

Woman arrested for stealing $1,700 in baby items from store

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A woman is in the Shelby County jail, accused of stealing hundreds of dollars in baby formula.

Included in the items were 19 cases of baby formula and 8 cases of condoms.

The items totaled $1,700 from the Walmart on Germantown Parkway.

Police say Martha Cooper tried to roll out with all that, and more, in her grocery cart.

Security guards stopped the 45-year-old before she even hit the parking lot.

“That’s real sad of her doing stuff like that,” said Cooper’s live-in boyfriend, Darrel Banks.

The store manager told police the theft was caught on surveillance video.

“Does she have a baby?” asked WREG’s Elise Preston.

“I don’t know. She’s probably cheating on me,” said Banks.

Court records show Cooper has been in trouble a lot.

According to police, just last month the Wal-Mart Corporation banned Cooper from every Walmart store across the country, because she kept stealing from the Walmart on Austin Peay.

Banks says Cooper needs help, but it won’t come from him.

“For what? Huh? She ain’t tell me about nothing going on. This is behind my back. So I’m going to work to maintain my life,” said Banks.

He doesn’t know anything about this recent WalMart bust, but he can confirm the couple isn’t hard up for baby formula.

“You don’t have a baby, no need for the Similac,? said WREG’s Elise Preston.

“I’m 52 years old. My kids are grown,” said Banks.

Police say when they arrested Cooper, they also found stolen clothing store from a store across the street from the Cordova Walmart.