Some criminal cases are open and shut – find the person committing the crime and make an arrest.

That wasn’t the case in the apprehension of Ruby Johnson, who was arrested and charged by Demopolis Police on Tuesday for the theft of more than $30,000 in cash from Wal-Mart. It took a year for Wal-Mart officials and Demopolis Police to catch the suspect.

According to Demopolis Police Chief Charles Avery, Johnson, 47, of Uniontown, has been charged with theft of property first degree for stealing from Wal-Mart.

John Whitehead, manager at the Demopolis Wal-Mart, deferred all questions to Avery.

According to Avery, Wal-Mart’s loss prevention officer began taking notice of Johnson some time ago, but Avery couldn’t offer a specific date.

And though he could not offer the details of Johnson’s alleged scheme, the suspect "was doing a refund on receipts that did not exist," Avery said.

Over a 12 month period, police and Wal-Mart officials believe Johnson took $31,612.37.

Police were just recently alerted of the investigation of Johnson, and Avery released very few details about the suspect or the specifics of the investigation.

Johnson apparently turned herself in to Demopolis Police on Tuesday morning, according to a police report.

In that report, Demopolis Police classified the crime as "cash from fraudulent returns."

As of press time, Johnson was being held in the Marengo County Detention Center under a $5,000 bond. A jail spokesperson said Johnson had not made bond as of late Tuesday.