MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s the prime example of the expression, “no good deed goes unpunished.”
The Murfreesboro Police Department said two individuals “preyed on an elderly man’s kindness” and bought more than $1,400 worth of items from Walmart on his dime.
Detectives are searching for two persons of interest who they believe may know more about the crime.
According to officers, the incident occurred on Saturday, Jan. 21. Police said the 75-year-old man was loading his groceries in his car when two females approached him and asked if he could buy them some items from the store.
| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County
The man initially tried to give them cash. However officers said the individuals turned down the money and asked if he could come inside and buy them the items.
Due to the man’s physical abilities, he was unable to walk around the store, police said. Instead, the man gave the pair his bank card and sat in the Subway inside the Walmart.
Then, one of the women went shopping.
“Once she made it back to the register, she had a cart full of items,” Larry Flowers, the public information officer for the Murfreesboro Police Department, said. “The elderly man saw that and said, ‘Hey, I can’t afford that much on my card.'”
It wasn’t until the man got back home that his family realized there was more than $1,400 charged from Walmart on his card.
“This is about as low as you can get,” Flowers said. “A 75-year-old man who has worked his whole life and on a fixed income, simply at Walmart to buy groceries when someone takes advantage of him. They definitely took his kindness for weakness.”
Flowers warned the public to be cautious when someone asks for money. It’s okay to give them cash, but never hand over a bank, debit, or credit card, he added.
On Monday, Feb. 6, Murfreesboro police released surveillance video of the woman and girl.
If you recognize the individuals in the photo, call Detective Jessica Rice at 629-201-5550.