Hunter
05/17/22
A Riverside woman who had been previously trespassed from an Iowa City store was arrested for allegedly stealing merchandise.
Staff at the Walmart on Highway 1 West were aware that 45-year-old Veronica Gatlin had previously been trespassed and called police around 8:20 Monday night after allegedly seeing her stuffing items into her purse. The officer verified that the trespass was given to Gatlin on July 10th last year, and saw her with concealed bottles of wine underneath the wallet in her purse.
When confronted, Gatlin allegedly said that she was going to pay for the other merchandise she collected in her cart, valued at over $100. The value of the wine she was trying to steal was a little over $22.
Gatlin also reportedly admitted that she knew she was trespassed.
She had previously been convicted of 5th degree theft in July 2021 and 3rd degree theft in July 2019. She was charged with violating the trespass order and third degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor. Gatlin could be sentenced to up to two years in jail if convicted.