A Picayune man allegedly attempted to falsely report his vehicle stolen from the Walmart parking lot so he could file an insurance claim on the vehicle

However, investigation by officers of the Picayune Police Department determined he never arrived at the store with the vehicle, and was subsequently arrested.

According to a release from the Picayune Police Department, 61-year-old Eddie R. Trapani, of 24881 Highway 43 South, called the department just before noon to report his gold Nissan Xterra had been stolen from the parking lot on Feb. 7.

Officers responded and took his statement, which alleged that he arrived at the store about 30 minutes prior, parked in a specific row and when he exited the store his vehicle was gone, the release states.

The officer checked into his statement by reviewing surveillance footage from the store, which showed that Trapani did not arrive in a Gold Nissan Xterra, but instead arrived to the store in a silver SUV driven by a second party, who dropped him off at the store and left the parking lot.

Additional investigation into the claim determined Trapani filed a claim with his insurance company hours after he called the department’s dispatch to report the vehicle stolen.

Based on the evidence collected, Trapani was arrested for false report of a crime and felony false pretense, the release states.