Shoplifter apprehended when he stops for gas

An escape attempt by an individual identified as a shoplifter at a Lawrenceburg business last week was foiled when a police officer quickly answered the call.

The incident occurred at Walmart on North Locust Avenue on Friday. Store employees requested that officers with the Lawrenceburg Police Department be dispatched to the location, reporting that a shoplifter was in the process of fleeing across the parking lot.

An officer who was nearby quickly entered the parking lot and reports that the driver of the suspect vehicle pulled into nearby Murphy Oil. The officer reports conducting a traffic stop at the fuel pumps.

Department reports show that the driver, identified as thirty-nine year old Arthur Joseph Bumpas of 220 Linville Road, Lawrenceburg, was only able to provide the officer with a State of Massachusetts-issued identification card. Dispatchers quickly verified that Bumpas' driver's license had been revoked for being a habitual motor vehicle offender. They also learned that he was on parole at that time.

As a result of the discovery, Bumpas was taken into police custody and transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center. Charges issued against him included driving on a revoked license and being a habitual motor vehicle offender. He was jailed under a bond of $22,000.

Bumpas has been scheduled an initial appearance in General Sessions Court on February 2, 2017.