Woman caught using banana trick to steal from Walmart... before police make horrifying discovery in her car

A Florida woman who was caught using a sneaky trick to steal various items from a local Walmart was found to have her children waiting in the car. 

Sebastian police were called to the Walmart regarding a shoplifting incident Thursday night, when a Loss Prevention Officer at the store caught Katherine Leone Gordon, 65, of using the so-called banana trick to pay less for her items.

She had picked out food, drinks and household items from the store, and allegedly took pre-cut barcodes from lower-priced items that she placed over the original tags to pay less at the self-checkout register rather than the full price of the merchandise, which was valued at $83.67, Sebastian Daily reports.

Gordon was then placed under arrest as she left the store, but she refused to speak with officers at the scene, according to CBS 12.

That is when the Loss Prevention Officer told cops that Gordon casually mentioned that children were waiting for her in her vehicle, as she bemoaned how ice cream she had purchased was beginning to melt due to the delay.

When police then questioned her, Gordon allegedly admitted to intentionally leaving two juveniles in her Ford truck, which was parked in the first handicap spot near the grocery entrance without the engine running.

She allegedly claimed she did not think it was hot enough outside that it would be a problem to leave the children in the car without air conditioning or giving the children the keys to open the door or windows - despite temperatures outside hovering between 82 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit at the time.

Katherine Leone Gordon, 65, was arrested after a Loss Prevention Officer at a Sebastian, Florida Walmart noticed she was using the so-called banana trick

She had allegedly took out pre-cut barcodes from lower-priced items that she placed over the original tags to pay less at the self-checkout register

At that point, the officers who were investigating the shoplifting incident dispatched additional cops to check on the children.

Those officers reportedly found two juveniles inside the locked vehicle - one in the back seat watching something on a tablet, and the other in the front seat using a cellphone.

They also noticed that the Ford trucks windows were rolled up and the engine was off, leaving the children without any air flow.

When one of the officers then tried to open a car door and found it unlocked, the child in the front seat unlocked it.

As the door swung open, the officer reported feeling a rush of heat from inside and noticed heavy condensation on the windows - which police say is a sign of poor ventilation and carbon dioxide buildup.

The children were also sweating profusely, but EMS crews dispatched to the scene found that their vitals were still within normal range. 

As police continued to investigate, they retrieved surveillance footage from the store - which showed that Gordon had parked the car at 5.52pm and spent over an hour shopping while the children were left inside the vehicle.

Officers located the children at around 6.58pm. 

When police handcuffed her outside the store, they learned she had left two children locked inside her Ford truck. A Walmart in Miami is pictured

But Gordon showed little concern when police questioned her, insisting it was not a problem to leave the children inside the truck as long as it wasnt running, according to a police affidavit obtained by Sebastian Daily.

It notes that Gordon even remarked that the childrens parents do it all the time.

She allegedly remained dismissive officers when police tried to explain how dangerous it could be to leave children inside a locked vehicle in Floridas heat.

Yet when she was sitting in the back of a patrol car, officers noted that she quickly grumbled about the heat and requested the door or windows be open. 

One of the officers then decided to point out the irony of her statement - mentioning that the children may not have had the strength to open the doors themselves due to heat-induced impairment.

But again, Gordon allegedly insisted, They were fine.

She is now charged with two counts of child neglect and one count of second-degree petit theft, and is being held at the River County Jail on a $3,000 bond.

The incident comes just one month after a Tennessee woman was banned from every Walmart in America for using the same banana trick.

Ashley Cross, 37, has been banned from every Walmart in the country 

Ashley Cross, 37, is prohibited from entering any of the grocery giants 4,600 stores after being caught using the barcode for a watch battery to scan multiple items for $1 at self-checkouts. 

Memphis Police caught Cross in the process of stealing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt some boots and 11 packs of ramen noodles from a Walmart on Elvis Presley Boulevard in February.

The total haul was valued at $137.34, according to the police report. 

She wasn’t working alone — another woman with her was charged with stealing $57.86 worth of goods, which included two bras.

Due to her history of theft, Cross has now found herself on list that bans her from entering another Walmart again. 

We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience, Walmart said in a statement. 

Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores. 

Cross has been charged for criminal trespass and theft of merchandise less than $1,000.