MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – A recently elected member of the Berkeley County Board of Education is facing a misdemeanor shoplifting charge following an incident at Walmart in Martinsburg on Oct. 14, according to court records.
Yvonne Jeannette Jenkins, 62, of Martinsburg, is accused of taking merchandise valued at less than $500, according to a criminal complaint filed in Berkeley County Magistrate Court by an officer with the Martinsburg Police Department.
According to the complaint, a police officer was dispatched to Walmart for a shoplifting in progress after store employees reported a woman concealing merchandise and using a different price tag to scan items at checkout.
The complaint states that the woman passed the final point of payment and was confronted by store loss prevention personnel at the store exit near the shopping cart return area. Jenkins allegedly left her cart, ran from the store area and drove away in a Mazda SUV.
The officer later located an address associated with Jenkins and reported seeing a Mazda SUV matching the vehicle shown in Walmart surveillance footage, according to the complaint. The officer said the vehicle also had the same license plate number provided by store personnel.
Walmart was expected to provide surveillance footage that police said showed the woman concealing at the checkout station “where she can be observed using another sales tag to scan for other items to avoid paying the full price” according to the criminal complaint.
A Berkeley County magistrate found probable cause to issue an arrest warrant Monday.
On Wednesday, Jenkins posted a $500 personal recognizance bond according to court records.
Berkeley County Schools Karla Troppman issued a statement Wednesday night:
“As this appears to be a personal matter, neither the district office, nor the Board of Education, is in a position to comment on the matter.”