A Leesburg man was arrested for stealing a $3 baseball cap from Walmart, even though he had just been released from prison that same morning after a theft conviction.

An officer responded to Walmart, 2501 Citrus Boulevard, around 4:29 p.m. Wednesday for a shoplifting incident, according to a Leesburg Police Department police report. Upon arrival, he met with the store’s asset protection staff.

Employees said they observed Shane Lee Thomas, 50, walking through the store. He put on a baseball cap in the stationery department. He then went to the self-service area, where he scanned the items he had placed in his shopping cart, but not the ones he had placed on his head. Because of this, he was referred to the merchandise loss prevention department, the report said.

An employee provided a written affidavit confirming his intent to press charges with his initials and provided a copy of the video surveillance and a training receipt, the report said.

The officer next spoke with Thomas, who provided identification with his name and date of birth. He stated that he had been released from prison that morning after being convicted of theft. A check of his criminal history revealed that he had been convicted of theft at least twice, once for grand larceny on June 21, 2000, and once for theft from a person on June 12, 2007, the report said.

The officer also reviewed video footage that showed Thomas walking through the store, selecting a baseball cap in an aisle and placing it on his head shortly before disappearing from view of the camera, and a photo of Thomas walking through an exit door wearing the cap, the report said.

Walmart employees said the $3 baseball cap was not paid for until they had passed all of the points of sale. As they requested, Thomas was issued a ban from the store, the report said.

Thomas was arrested for petty theft (two or more prior convictions). He was taken to the Lake County Jail and bail was set at $2,500.