Walmart Employee Charged With Repeatedly Stealing ZzzQuil in Ephrata

Jacqueline Szelewa, a 27-year-old Ephrata Walmart employee from Denver, was charged with retail theft after Ephrata police say she stole roughly 20 bottles of ZzzQuil along with several ZzzQuil packets and other merchandise across nine separate incidents, accumulating $740.39 in combined retail value.

According to Ephrata police, Szelewa would hide merchandise in her purse and leave the store without paying. One account in the police reporting describes the thefts occurring at the end of her shift, while another describes her concealing items in her purse before her shift began and then walking out. Both descriptions appear in the sourced accounts of the incident, and police have not publicly reconciled the difference in timing.

Walmart launched its own internal investigation before contacting law enforcement. The company called Ephrata police on Feb. 27, and officers subsequently determined that Szelewa had allegedly stolen from the store on nine different occasions. The roughly 20 ZzzQuil bottles and several packets she allegedly took were specifically identified in the affidavit reviewed by investigators.

The case illustrates a theft pattern that loss-prevention teams across large retail operations commonly flag: an employee using insider access, specifically knowledge of shift schedules and store layout, to repeatedly remove low-cost, easily concealed consumer goods. ZzzQuil, a liquid or capsule sleep aid sold over the counter, is a frequent target in retail theft cases because of its small packaging relative to its retail price.

Szelewa was arrested on retail-theft charges, with the arrest reported on March 19. No information about booking details, bail, a court date, or the specific grade of the retail-theft charge has been made public. Ephrata Police Department and Walmart have not issued public statements beyond what was included in the charging documents.