Ex-Walmart associate arrested; charged with felony shoplifting

Published 11:15 am Wednesday, July 16, 2025

EATONTON, Ga. — A former longtime associate at the Eatonton Walmart was recently arrested for stealing electronics, local authorities say.

In at least two of the four felony shoplifting incidents she is currently accused of committing, some of the stolen items included laptops and an expensive electronic watch.

The former employee had worked at Walmart for nearly 20 years.

Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell identified the suspect as 40-year-old Lakika Culp of the 100 block of Newsome Drive, Eatonton.

She was arrested July 3 and charged with four counts of felony theft by shoplifting.

After her arrest, she was taken to the Putnam County Jail in Eatonton. She was released after posting bail.

Cardwell said the felony shoplifting incidents happened on four separate dates.

The police chief said the thefts began in May and continued until she was seen on store surveillance cameras reportedly stealing items while using self-checkout stations.

Cardwell said police were called to the store to investigate the latest incident on July 3.

Members of the store’s loss prevention team pulled video of Culp checking out items in line at a self-checkout station, Cardwell said.  

“She was skip-scanning,” Cardwell said. “She would go through a self-checkout area and scan some items in her buggy and skip scanning the more expensive items.”

The police chief said she walked out of the store without being checked by anyone working in loss prevention.

In the latest such incident, Cardwell said Culp paid $7.97 for a toddler toy.

“But she went out of the store without paying for a laptop computer, valued at $699,” Cardwell said. “She also took two pillows out, but only paid for one.”

In a separate incident, Culp is accused of paying for a toy watch, valued at $7.48, he said.

“She also took out a Galaxy watch, valued at $182,” Cardwell said.

In another shoplifting incident, Culp reportedly purchased a rug, valued at $4.97 and then did what the police chief described was a price override and stole out an expensive JBL speaker, valued at $495, the police chief said.

In a fourth incident, the suspect is accused of taking another laptop, valued at $700, after she purchased another toy.

“Those cameras will end up getting you sooner or later in theft cases like this one,” Cardwell said.

The police chief said the case was worked by Officer Carl Hudson and Investigator Hargrove Jones.