Reports indicate that a woman was taken into custody during a routine traffic stop in Gadsden, Alabama on Tuesday. She is believed to be involved in a string of thefts across multiple states, with a total of 46 prior cases of theft reported at Walmart stores throughout the Southeast.
As per reports from the Rome Police Department and Etowah County Sheriff’s Office:
When Larisa Vasile-Sima, who is 21 years old, was arrested in Alabama, she was charged with theft and criminal mischief, among other offenses. When she was taken into custody, Sima informed the Etowah County jail deputies that she was Armenian and did not possess a Social Security number, address, or driver’s license.
After being arrested, Sima was implicated as a suspect in a Walmart theft case in East Rome. According to surveillance footage, she was one of the two women who forcibly opened a spinning jewelry display case and made off with various pieces of jewelry on July 7th around 5 p.m. It was reported that Sima and her accomplice fled the store shortly after and quickly got into a gray minivan that was already waiting for them.
It is believed that she may have taken $1,138 worth of jewelry from an unlocked display at the Walmart store earlier that same day, around 10:54 a.m.
According to a Walmart representative, Sima was apprehended in Alabama along with several others on charges that were not related.
According to the Rome police, he mentioned that she has 46 previous cases in the Southeast region and has stolen around $70,000 worth of merchandise from the company.
Etowah County, Alabama is currently holding her without bond.
