Tangi Man Arrested for Picayune Walmart Burglary

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office announce today (July 6, 2023 the arrest of 47 year-old Joseph Hollingsworth of Tickfaw, after he was found to be in possession of nearly $7,000 worth of stolen property.

Chief Jimmy Travis says early last week, detectives received a Crime Stoppers Tip regarding Hollingsworth committing burglaries throughout Southeast Louisiana. At the time of the tip, detectives were unaware of any cases involving Hollingsworth within Tangipahoa Parish. 

Over the weekend, the Picayune Police Department published a press release asking the public to help identify the suspect of a Walmart Burglary. According to the details of the article, the suspect was seen on security cameras going in and out of the Picayune Walmart on June 27, 2023, stealing items over a seven-hour period. According to investigators with the Picayune Police Department, the suspect dressed as a Walmart employee and walked through the store during business hours. At some point during the day, he disabled the fire exit in order to return overnight and enter the store. 

As detectives with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office began coordinating with the Picayune Police Department, they were able to verify that the suspect vehicle in the Walmart security footage matched the vehicle described in the tip. With this information detectives conducted a search warrant of Hollingsworth's home on Highway 51 in Tickfaw. Upon arrival, Hollingsworth reportedly provided a full confession and was even wearing the same shoes seen in the Walmart security footage. Also located was the Walmart employee uniform he was wearing during the burglary. 

Hollingsworth was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on the charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of CDS II, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Chief Travis adds that through this arrest, TPSO detectives recovered a total of 173 items with a value of $6,950. The recovered items were later turned over to the Picayune Police Department and returned to the Picayune Walmart. 

At the time of arrest, Hollingsworth possessed other stolen items not taken from the Picayune Walmart, yet reportedly implied they were stolen from other businesses across southeast Louisiana. He further reportedly admitted to having previously sold many other stolen items taken from various other burglaries, and has even been named as the suspect in another Walmart burglary in Slidell. 

The Picayune Police Department says the identification and subsequent arrest of Hollingsworth has helped them close six commercial burglaries, some of which going back to 2020. 

***All persons accused of a crime are considered innocent until proven guilty***