From the ‘Only in Texas’ Files – January 29, 2022

The Walmart store chain offers plenty of items for shoppers, but I don’t believe children are among them.  After all, this isn’t Russia!

But Rebecca Lanette Taylor, a 49-year-old woman from Crockett, Texas, apparently thought otherwise.  While standing in line at self-checkout lane at a Walmart in Crockett, Taylor allegedly offered another woman $500,000 in exchange for the latter’s child.

The Crockett Police Department indicated an officer was on patrol on January 13 when she received a phone call from the mother of the child, saying “a White woman with blonde hair approached her in the Crockett Walmart, wanting to purchase her son”.

According to an arrest affidavit, the mother had a baby in a car seat in the shopping cart, along with her 1-year-old.  Officials state Taylor “began commenting on her son’s blonde hair and blue eyes.”  She then asked how much she could pay for him. The mom tried to laugh off the comment, thinking Taylor was joking. However, Taylor told her that she had $250,000 in the car and would give that much for the baby.

The mother refused and left the store.  But Taylor supposedly followed her out to her car and asked again to buy the younger baby, adding she “been wanting to buy a child for a long time.”

The affidavit also declares that Taylor then “began screaming at the mom, saying if she wouldn’t take $250,000 for him, then she would give her $500,000 because she wanted him and she was going to take him.”

The mother got into her vehicle and locked the doors.  The children were safely inside with her. Taylor left the scene shortly after, but surveillance footage caught the incident on camera and a warrant was issued for Taylor’s arrest.  She is currently being held at the Houston County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

I think the bond should be set much higher…say, $500,000.  But that’s just a personal thought.