Dalton man arrested after shoplifting $7 phone charger from Dollar General on Walnut Avenue

According to a Dalton Police Department incident report, On March 25th, 2023, at 6:30 PM, Officer Morang responded to Dollar General located at 101 West Walnut Avenue with several other units in reference to a male subject shoplifting. Officer Miller then stopped the suspect walking on Hamilton St near Hamilton Connector. The Dollar General loss prevention associate stated that the male that Officer Miller stopped had entered the store, selected a phone charger, and then she saw him remove the sticker containing the bar code and stick it in his pocket. She stated that he then paid for an extension cord and left. She stated that the male never paid for the phone charger or made any attempt to. The suspect, James Robert Baker, 54, of Dalton, was found in possession of an extension cord and the stolen phone charger. Officer Morang reported, “James then stated that the phone cord was his and did not come from dollar general. [I] said, “Really, James? They have the exact same cords just inside the door there.” James said, “Yeah [I] saw them, and [I] was looking at them, but this one did not come from dollar general.” [I] said, “Where did it come from then?” James stated that he purchased it at Ross earlier today, where he also bought the shoes that he was wearing. [I] told James that Ross did not get their inventory from Dollar General, so they would not sell the exact same phone charger as Dollar General. [I] asked him where he got it from, and James said, “I did not shoplift it from Dollar General.” [I] replied, “Where did you shoplift it from then.” James then asked if he could just go speak with the clerk at Dollar General. The employee stated that the cord was valued at $7. Officer Morang then watched video footage of James leaving without ever paying for the phone charger. The manager stated that they wished to press charges and to have James trespassed from the property. James was booked into the Whitfield County Jail and charged with shoplifting for less than $500.