Round Rock police arrest DPS Trooper
Officer charged with theft after allegedly taking merchandise from Wal-Mart store.
Round Rock police arrested a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Thursday and charged her with misdemeanor theft after she allegedly took $58 worth of merchandise from a local Wal-Mart, according to police documents.
Jennifer Lopatowski, 30, is in custody at the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $750.
A Wal-Mart loss prevention officer called police to the store near the intersection of Interstate 35 and Louis Henna Boulevard shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday after he saw Lopatowski put a jacket, an infant sleeper and four flash cards into a Wal-Mart bag and another bag she brought into the store, police documents said.
According to the documents, Lopatowski said she forgot to pay for the items with her Wal-Mart gift card.
Lopatowski attended the DPS training academy in July 1998 and graduated as a probationary trooper in January 1999. She worked as a highway patrol trooper in Hempstead before transferring to Magnolia in May 2000, said Lisa Block, a DPS spokeswoman.
Lopatowski worked as a trooper at the Capitol from June 2002 until she transferred to the Region 6 office in East Austin in June 2003, Block said. In September 2005, Lopatowski transferred to DPS’ private security bureau, an office that oversees licensing for security personnel, Block said.
The Internal Affairs division of DPS is investigating the incident, Block said. Lopatowski, who was on family leave at the time of the arrest, will remain on leave pending the results of the investigation, Block said.
The class B misdemeanor has a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
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