Police seek man accused of stealing boots from Lewisburg Walmart

Pennsylvania State Police at Milton are asking for help identifying an unknown man accused of stealing a pair of work boots from the Lewisburg Walmart in Kelly Township, a store many Union County shoppers use for everyday essentials. The boots were not a luxury item. They were a $98 pair of Bates Mill work boots, the kind of gear many people need for a job.

Investigators said the man walked into the store at about 4:45 p.m. on March 23, went to the shoe department and tried on the boots before allegedly taking them without paying. Police have not identified him, and the report does not say whether he left in a vehicle or on foot.

The store is the Lewisburg Supercenter at 120 AJK Blvd., Lewisburg, PA 17837, which Walmart lists as store #1644. Walmart lists the location’s general hours as 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The case adds to a long-running concern for major retailers: even a relatively small theft can force managers to review surveillance footage, tighten security at self-service areas and spend more time on loss prevention.

Pennsylvania State Police, formed in 1905, describe themselves as the first uniformed police organization of their kind in the United States. In this case, troopers are relying on the public to help identify the suspect and close the gap in a theft that started with a routine shopping stop in the shoe aisle.

The incident also fits Pennsylvania’s retail-theft law, which treats it as a crime to take or transfer merchandise displayed for sale with the intent to deprive the merchant of its full value without paying. State law also includes a separate organized retail theft statute for larger or coordinated cases.

The Lewisburg Walmart has been a repeat location for theft cases in recent years. In March 2024, three people were charged after allegedly stealing more than $1,000 in products from the same store. In 2025, police publicly reported other theft cases there involving more than $1,000 in merchandise, more than $100 in merchandise and nearly $100 in playing cards. For stores, repeated losses like those can ripple beyond the item taken, affecting inventory control, checkout procedures and the costs ordinary customers ultimately absorb.