A routine shoplifting stop at an Ocala Walmart escalated when officers reportedly discovered a loaded handgun in the pocket of a convicted felon.
The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, at the Walmart located at 2600 SW 19th Avenue Road. A loss prevention officer allegedly observed a woman, later identified as 40-year-old Jennifer Lynn Blanchard, concealing a blue Florida Gators T-shirt inside her waistband before continuing to shop, according to the arrest report.
An Ocala Police Department officer who was at the store noted that Blanchard gathered additional items totaling $435.95 before allegedly exiting the store with the unpaid merchandise. The officer stopped her at the crosswalk outside the store and escorted her back to the loss prevention office…