An alleged shoplifter who fled the Walmart Super Center was apprehended nearby by police Friday.
Ruston Police officers responded to the Walmart on the North Service Road about 10:30 p.m. Friday night. The suspect had fled on foot, reportedly discarding stolen items as he ran.
A patrol officer spotted the suspect running on the North Service Road and took him into custody.
Torranzec R. Melton, 38, of Simsboro, allegedly told officers he took a flashlight and two packages of batteries. The items were recovered in the Walmart parking lot.
A search of Melton’s backpack discovered a prescription bottle in another man’s name containing digoxin, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
Melton was booked for theft by shoplifting, resisting an officer, and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance. Bail was set at $4,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
