These Are the 10 Most Stolen Items from Walmart in California

California’s not exactly known for its low crime rates. According to FBI crime data released last October, California ranked #10 in the country when it comes to the number of property crimes per 100,000 residents.

The Crime in California report takes a deeper look into those property crimes. According to the latest report which looks back at crimes reported in 2022, there were 902,977 property crimes reported in California. Shoplifting, a non-violent crime, falls under the bigger category of “Larceny-Theft Offenses.” Crimes in this category include theft from motor vehicles, bicycle theft, pocket picking, purse snatching and theft from coin machines. When analysts broke down the category further, 81,955 of those crimes were actual shoplifting cases. That’s up 28% from the year before, but down 10.5% from 2017.

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California law defines shoplifting as entering a business during regular hours with the intent to steal merchandise valued at up to $950. It’s a misdemeanor that is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense. 

If the suspect steals more than $950 in merchandise, they could be charged with felony grand theft which could put them in jail for up to three years and a fine of $10,000. 

No matter how tough times are, it’s just not worth it. 

What Items are Most Commonly Stolen from Walmart?

Walmart has 280 locations in California, including their supercenters and marketplace locations. The big-box retailer is already known for having some of the lowest prices on everything from essential groceries to popular electronics, but they’re still a target for shoplifters. “Aisle of Shame” examined news articles and crowdsourced information on sites like Reddit and Quora from people who work or have worked at Walmart stores. 

This is what they discovered.