Poppy Bilderbeck
A former Walmart employee has been left worried about paying his rent and bills since being let go after being stabbed trying to stop a shoplifter.
On August 11, 68-year-old John Zalesky was working at the Walmart in the 16700 block of E. Smoky Hill Rd. in Centennial, Colorado, when a woman shoplifted several items from the store.
In a bid to stop her, John followed her outside to her car, however, another person was waiting inside the vehicle.
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The woman was flagged to John by a fellow Walmart employee as she was a well-known repeat shoplifter, the Post reports.
John subsequently followed her to the front door of the store and asked to see a receipt for the goods in her bag, however, the woman said nothing.
He told the Post: "She wasn’t even denying it, she just took off. And I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve had enough of this crap. I’m done with these people stealing, this one’s going to end it.'
"So I actually chased her out to the car she was in, which was backed into a handicapped [spot] right outside the front doors."
When John reached the vehicle, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office reports a male suspect, also inside the car, 'stabbed' John 'in the arm' when he tried to reach inside to retrieve the stolen goods.
The report, shared to Facebook on August 12, reads: "The couple then took off in an early 2000 model silver Toyota sedan with no license plates. Deputies checked the area but could not find the vehicle."
John was left with a small gash on his forearm but refused to go to hospital or receive stitches given it was 'probably three-quarters of an inch wide' and 'nothing big,' he said, going back into work the very next day.
However, a week later and the ordeal was far from over. John was informed by the store's assistant manager he was being let go from his position.
But why?
Well, because Walmart has a company policy that forbids employees from following shoplifters outside of its stores.
John - who has since started a GoFundMe to help tide him over until he finds another job - said: "I’m sad I lost my job because I had some fantastic people that I worked with. I looked to work there for 10 years, then hopefully retire and enjoy life. But you’re trying to do the right thing, and you get slapped for it. That’s what’s most perturbing about it.
"I was disappointed that with all the [things] I’ve done, this is how Walmart thanks you. You save them thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of merchandise being stolen. And you have one thing, with a little bitty stab wound, and you fire the guy for it?"
A representative for Walmart told the Post it hopes John recovers quickly and that the situation was unfortunate, resolving: "We have trained associates to combat theft and how to follow our policies to ensure Walmart is a safe place to shop and work."
Police took statements at the time of the incident and report both suspects as being 'white and in their 30's', the woman with 'purple hair'.
The department implores anyone who recognizes them or the vehicle from shared surveillance photos to call the dispatch center at 303-795-4711.
UNILAD has contacted Walmart and Arapahoe Sheriff's Department for comment.