Dalton Police make arrest for Walmart Theft

DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) – Dalton Police make an arrest for the theft of electronics and toys from Walmart after receiving many tips from the public.

37-year-old Jason Lamar Benton faces a charge of felony theft.

The Chattanooga man turned himself in to investigators after his picture was circulated by area media and online.

The stolen items were valued at more than $2,400.

Dalton Police spokesman Bruce Frazier said the theft happened during the early morning hours of August 28th 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.

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.