Elderly woman run over in Walmart parking lot car theft in Setauket
A shocking scene unfolded Thursday morning in Setauket when an 84-year-old woman was deliberately run over while trying to park her car outside Walmart.
Suffolk County Police said the victim had just stepped out of her 2013 Subaru Forester to remove a shopping cart blocking her parking spot at 3990 Nesconset Highway (Route 347) when 34-year-old Dareine Heller allegedly ran to the car, jumped into the driver’s seat, and tried to steal the vehicle.
When the victim approached the suspect, a struggle broke out. Police said Heller shoved the elderly woman to the ground and intentionally ran her over, dragging her a short distance before crashing into a pole, a stop sign, another car and a brick wall.
Heller then fled the scene and drove to a Centereach address, cops said.
The victim was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Later, police found and arrested Heller — about 1 p.m. — in a parking lot at 255 Pond Path. She faces multiple charges, including robbery, assault on a senior citizen, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident causing injuries, and possession of controlled substances.
Heller is scheduled for arraignment Friday at Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip.
Wild moment Walmart shoplifter films herself getting caught as she ‘fake scans’
By ALICE WRIGHT, US CONSUMER REPORTER
A Walmart customer has sparked outrage after filming herself shoplifting at a self-checkout – and posting it online.
The woman, who goes by Nesha on TikTok, posted a video of herself pretending to scan items at a self-checkout.
She demonstrated the ‘fake scan’ tactic used by shoplifters at self-checkouts.
The thieves scan some items but not others – hoping staff won’t notice. If they are caught, they pretend it was an accident.
But Nesha gets instant karma after trying to steal a backpack – unaware of new technology Walmart has to catch crooks like her.
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A TikTok content creator filmed herself fake-scanning a pink backpack in Walmart
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The store worker appeared to laugh after discovering the amount that had been stolen
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Walmart’s revamped new checkout procedures leaves shoppers ‘in tears’
She is caught by a worker – and given a two year ban from Walmart stores. She may also face police action.
Incredibly, the shameless thief includes the confrontation in the video she posts.
Her TikTok shows how the Walmart worker is able to confirm she didn’t scan items by replaying footage recorded by hidden cameras at the checkout.
The cameras record from several angles, and can detect if an item has been moved across and bagged without being scanned.
If they spot this, they freeze the checkout screen – and alert staff to come and review the footage.
The TIkTok shows the member of staff scanning their card before the machine replays the ‘potential missed scan.’
Nesha then flips the camera to show the reaction of the Walmart worker. The shop assistant appears so shocked by the brazen nature of the theft that she raises her hand to her mouth and laughs in disbelief.
‘Even though she laughed … she called the manager.. police and had us escorted outside,’ Nesha captioned the video.
Many viewers were shocked by the creator’s behavior, with one commenting: ‘I never got people who steal.’
‘Yeah that’s why now we don’t have self checkout. It really makes me mad,’ another wrote, referring to supermarkets rolling back on self-checkouts to crack down on theft.
However, many other users appeared to condone the act and even explained the methods they themselves use to steal.
‘I pretend to be distracted by a phone call as I’m scanning items & I only skip one or two mid priced items (never the most expensive too bait) that way if I get caught I have an excuse,’ one user commented.
‘I did multiple things but only for food I would put a smaller thing like taco seasoning under the meat and scan that instead and bag it or leave stuff in cart and cover it with bags,’ another advised.
‘I didn’t do it this way but them new cameras catch everything now,’ a third added.
Walmart has made renewed efforts to crack down on shoplifting at its self-checkouts by introducing invisible barcodes.
The feature lets shoppers simply move an item over the self-checkout scanner, which will register the item without needing to scan a visible bar code.
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Walmart and other grocery giants have brought in measures to crack down on shoplifting
The new technology works on any Walmart Great Value branded items, such as graham crackers, chocolate bars and croissant sandwiches.
The invisible barcodes were first introduced to Walmart branded items in 2019, through the chain’s partnership with Digimarc.
Digimarc Barcode’s are invisible to the naked eye, but are printed all over an item enabling it to be easily picked up by a self-checkout scanner.
Rising theft has become an increasing concern for grocery retailers’ bottom line.
Dollar General and Target as well as Walmart have also made sweeping changes to the automated stations in stores because of theft issues.
Theft as it concerns corporations (is it immoral to steal from Walmart?)
Do the suttas speak to theft done in desperation? Or theft from the wealthy in specific? Everything I’ve read is pretty general.
I know that in Vinaya, lying is divided into tiers, some lies are worse than others, but stealing is pretty problematic, taking even a very mundane item without being offered can be grounds for expulsion.
Let’s analyse in abstract. Ideally, a noble disciple should and never does steal (or break any other precepts for that matter). Why do we want to justify breaking a precept? It’s one thing to stagger on the path, knowing it’s bad (most notably the fifth precept, as it generally only harms us), it’s another to make excuses for our misgivings.
Precepts are not dictated by a god who will then judge us, they’re not abstract concepts of good vs evil, they’re training rules we voluntarily take because we realise their harm for us. Understanding this difference, we realise that stealing, no matter how petty, harms us. In what ways?
Precepts (or breaking them) are habits, like muscles. Once we justify the smallest amount, then it’s a slippery slope and any arguments can be applied at scale. Why shouldn’t a multi-trillionnaire steal from corporations and governments that are evil, if said businessman intends to use the funds and goods to provide for the poor and destitute?
However, is that a peaceful way to earn a living? Is it a good message to those we provide with theft, conditioning them that stealing is sometimes okay if done with good intentions?
I think stealing goes against the heart of teaching, that is we don’t need much in life to see and experience the bliss of nirvana. Just about some food, enough shelter to keep us warm and cool, enough clothes to cover our private parts and protect us from weather and animals. We objectively don’t need more for the ultimate happiness, so why steal at all?
Furthermore, all of those things can be obtained in this day and age, simply by visiting a monastery and asking for going forth. What a chance! The world’s greatest bliss, most important knowledge, greatest gifts are available to anyone, provided they’re willing to abide by the most simple ethical guides. Anyone who can be justified for their theft, can instead go forth in our age and get all that they might think they need to steal, freely offered to them in good faith, blamelessly. Why should I bother to steal from (and thus fight with) Jeff Bezos, when good people are willing to provide for me our of the kindness in their hearts? It makes no sense.
Now, it is one thing for us to compartementalise thievery, and showing greater compassion for the man who’s stealing to provide for their family than we show to Jeff Bezos for stealing from his emploees. Even so, suttas are abundant with mass murderers, kings who’ve repented and taken the vows, so we shouldn’t view anyone beyond redemption or compassion; but compassion shouldn’t mean endorsement of harmful behaviour at all.
The bottom line is, we don’t need to steal to live the holy life, full of greatest gifts and bliss. Any objection to this point is simply delusion and caprice. Ignorance. Whatever else we think we might need to steal, things that people do not provide in good fauth to monks (anything outside of lodging, food, medicine and knowledge, given freely to anyone seeking earnestly) – anything else not covered with these are simply not required for freedon, for bliss, for nibbana.
Is it immoral to steal from Walmart? I don’t know what morality means. It hurts me, my goodwill, my practice and my peace to steal from Walmart. Anything I need from Walmart, people offer to me in good faith. Better to take them up on it, allowing people to make amazing karma, and fighting hatred with love.
Capitalism isn’t so bad that there’s absolutely no way out of this system. Countless monks across the globe are a good example. There’s absolutely no reason to steal.
“For hatred is never resolved with hatred; it’s resolved with non-hatred, love; this law is eternal.” DHP
“Others will steal, but here we will not steal” MN8
