After receiving numerous tips this week about a theft of electronics and toys from Walmart, the Dalton Police Department arrested Jason Lamar Benton Thursday on a charge of felony theft. Benton, 37 years old, of 4429 Lilac Lane in Chattanooga, turned himself in to investigators after his picture was circulated by area media and online.
The theft happened during the early morning hours of Aug. 28, at the Shugart Road Walmart. Benton arrived at the store and parked on the side of the building where he cut a hole in the fence around the garden center, and then parked in the parking lot. He then went into the store, loaded a shopping cart with computers and televisions and pushed the items into the garden center. Next, he drove his minivan back to the hole in the fence and loaded it with the stolen merchandise. He repeated the process one more time before leaving the store. The stolen items were valued at $2,418.01.
On Tuesday, the Dalton Police Department released surveillance pictures of the crime to area media outlets and immediately received a large number of tips from the public identifying the suspect as Benton. Benton made arrangements with a detective to surrender and turned himself in on a charge of felony theft on Thursday afternoon.
The Dalton Police Department thanks everyone who called in with information about this case.