Brittany Whittington, 20, of Nashville, was arrested Friday after she set off Belk’s theft detection alarm and Loss Prevention Officer Matthew Tipton allegedly discovered concealed items on the suspect.

“Mr. Tipton caught her as she attempted to locate her car in the parking lot,” Murfreesboro Police Officer Ramona Thomas reported.

Tipton and Thomas discovered 19 pieces of jewelry, two pairs of shoes and three purses, all totaling $868 in merchandise, in Whittington’s possession that she did not pay for.

Upon further questioning, Whittington admitting to stealing goods more than $1,000 worth of goods from four other stores, Victoria Secret, Hollister, American Eagle and Old Navy.

Whittington was arrested for the thefts from Belk, but the other stores declined to press charges because no one witnessed the crimes. She is being held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on $7,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 18.

•••

In a separate incident, MPD officers discovered meth-making ingredients in a Walgreen’s restroom Saturday night.

After investigating an injury accident at Mercury and Middle Tennessee boulevards, MPD Officer Mark Moghaddam searched the drugstore’s restroom and discovered broken lithium batteries, an empty packet of pseudoephedrine pills and many other methamphetamine ingredients in the trashcan.

The driver in the accident, James Webb, 22, entered the Walgreen’s and went into the restroom directly after the wreck occurred, witnesses said.

Meth technicians and Haz-Mat was called in to process the scene.

Charges against Webb and his passenger, Michael T. O’Bryan, 14, are pending a this time.