Walmart Employee Threatened With Ax: Police

AMERICAN CANYON, CA — A man is accused of threatening to strike a Walmart employee with an ax in an incident last week in American Canyon, police said.

Around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, officers were sent to a report of a possible theft at Walmart and as they were en route to the store, they were updated that the suspect was threatening to strike an employee with an ax, police said.

Officers detained 35-year-old Wenzell Smith, a transient from Vallejo, in handcuffs as he tried to escape out of a fire exit, police chief Rick Greenberg said.

"Officers spoke with the employee and they stated Smith had raised an ax above his head in a threatening manner as he tried to approach him after having observed Smith walk out of the Walmart through a fire exit with several items in a cart," Greenberg said. "The employee stated he felt fearful during the incident."

Officers placed Smith under arrest on suspicion of robbery and petty theft, and as they searched his person, they found a methamphetamine pipe and two rifle rounds in a rifle magazine, the chief said.

A criminal records check revealed Smith was a convicted felon who is not permitted to have ammunition.

Smith was booked into Napa County jail on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, being a felon in possession of ammunition, petty theft and robbery. His bail was set at $100,000 and he remained in custody Monday night, jail records showed.

The total loss to Walmart was approximately $800, the chief said.