Angela Velasquez Taborda was charged with misdemeanor retail theft after Walmart security accused her of trying to leave with $121.85 in merchandise.
The Case
Angela Velasquez Taborda, 73, was arrested after security at a Tampa-area Walmart accused her of attempting to leave the store with $121.85 worth of merchandise she had not paid for. Police said the items included shampoo, socks and men’s shorts and had been placed in a plastic bag Taborda brought into the store. The case attracted attention because the arrest affidavit recorded an unusual explanation attributed to Taborda, but the legal matter was a misdemeanor retail-theft case. She posted $150 bond and was ordered to stay away from Walmart.
What Happened
The alleged shoplifting occurred on Saturday evening, May 3, 2025. According to the police account summarized by The Smoking Gun, Walmart loss-prevention personnel stopped Taborda as she tried to exit. Investigators said the merchandise had been placed in a bag that she brought with her. The total value listed in the report was $121.85.
Police said Taborda initially denied stealing the goods and then admitted that she had attempted to leave without paying. The affidavit also attributed to her a statement that the devil had told her to obtain the items for someone else but that she lacked enough money. That statement was part of the police paperwork, but the affidavit did not provide any clinical assessment or broader explanation for why she made it.
Evidence and Police Account
The public account relied on store loss-prevention action, the recovered merchandise and Taborda’s reported statement to police. The sources do not describe a struggle, weapon, injury or allegation that Taborda concealed a larger quantity of property. The loss figure remained below the level normally associated with a more serious theft charge in the reporting reviewed.
Because the unusual statement drew most of the headlines, it is important to separate it from the evidence of the alleged retail theft. The case did not involve a separate charge based on that statement. The relevant evidence described publicly was the attempted exit with unpaid merchandise, the recovered items and the police interview.
Charges and Court Proceedings
Taborda was booked on misdemeanor retail theft. She posted $150 bond and was released from the county jail on Monday morning, May 5. A judge ordered her to stay away from Walmart while the case was pending. The available report does not state that she pleaded guilty, was convicted or received a sentence.
May 5 is used as the case date because the bond release and stay-away order were completed court developments after the May 3 incident. No later disposition was located through August 11, 2026.
Latest Case Status
The latest verified status remains the misdemeanor charge and May 5 bond release. This article does not convert the arrest into a conviction. If a later docket shows dismissal, plea or adjudication, the article should be updated to reflect it.
The new headline removes the sensational “Satanic suggestion” framing and instead identifies the defendant, retailer and alleged loss. The affidavit statement remains in the body because it is a documented part of the police account, but it no longer substitutes for the legal facts.
Case Chronology
- May 3, 2025: Walmart security stopped Taborda over $121.85 in allegedly unpaid merchandise.
- May 2025: Police booked her on misdemeanor retail theft.
- May 5, 2025: She posted $150 bond and was ordered to stay away from Walmart.
What the Public Record Does and Does Not Establish
The accessible source does not report a final judgment, defense account or explanation beyond the arrest affidavit. It also does not establish whether mental-health issues, confusion or some other factor contributed to Taborda’s unusual statement. The article does not speculate.
The source set for this minor case is limited. Rather than adding generic theft material, the revised article stays with the specific store encounter, police allegations, bond and current known status.
Why This Version Replaces the Earlier Record
This revision is anchored to Charged with misdemeanor retail theft; released on $150 bond with Walmart stay-away order. No later disposition located. The case date is 2025-05-05 because Latest completed substantive development: Taborda was released on $150 bond and ordered to stay away from Walmart on May 5, 2025. That chronology is specific to this case and prevents an arrest-only or source-publication date from being mistaken for the latest completed legal development.
The source review also checks the names, location, charges, custody information and outcome against the case-specific links listed below. Where those sources do not answer a question, this article leaves the point unresolved. It does not add a bond, sentence, motive, medical result or later hearing merely because one would normally appear in a longer criminal case record.
Case-Date Review
For this record, the date review follows the sequence documented in the sources: May 3, 2025: Walmart security stopped Taborda over $121.85 in allegedly unpaid merchandise. May 2025: Police booked her on misdemeanor retail theft. May 5, 2025: She posted $150 bond and was ordered to stay away from Walmart. The resulting post date is 2025-05-05. This avoids using a later article-publication timestamp when the actual court or custody action occurred earlier, and it also avoids treating a future scheduled hearing as though it had already happened.
Case-Specific Clarification
The $121.85 value matters because it keeps the public record focused on the actual scale of the Walmart allegation. The items identified were ordinary retail goods, and the available report describes no weapon, force, injury or accomplice. Taborda's unusual statement to police became the attention-grabbing detail, but the documented proceeding was a low-level retail-theft arrest followed by a $150 bond and a stay-away condition. No later plea, dismissal or conviction was located in the case-specific material reviewed.
Sources
- The Smoking Gun — Walmart retail theft case — arrest affidavit, loss amount, bond and stay-away order
Source note: This case has a limited number of independently accessible, case-specific public sources. Crimes of the Week is listing the strongest sources located rather than padding the list with unrelated or duplicative pages.
Charges and accusations are allegations unless and until they are established by a guilty plea, verdict, or other final court judgment. When a later verified development changes the status of a case, this article may be updated.
