Avelino Tavares Da Silva Jr., 49, of College Park
Avelino Tavares Da Silva Jr., 49, of College Park, has been formally charged with misdemeanor theft following an incident at the Walmart in Dunkirk, according to court documents filed in Calvert County District Court.
The incident occurred on December 2, 2025, at the store located on Town Center Boulevard. According to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded shortly after 12:43 p.m. following a report from the store’s loss prevention staff about a suspected shoplifting in progress.
Loss prevention officer Leo Watkins told law enforcement that the suspect had paid for a single item but concealed other merchandise in his jacket and underneath his clothing. Watkins stated he had been monitoring Silva through the store and observed him enter the self-checkout area, look around for a store employee, and, believing he wasn’t being watched, scan and pay for one item before attempting to leave. Watkins said he then approached Silva and escorted him to the office to await deputies. He recovered concealed items from Silva’s jacket and clothing.
Silva, identified by his Brazilian passport, told Deputy Morgal that he was visiting from Brazil and working in the U.S. for “HP.” According to the statement of probable cause, Silva told the deputy, “I was checking out items and I was not attempting to steal anything.” He also said, “It was a misunderstanding and I make money and do not need to steal.”
Recovered merchandise included:
- A PlayStation 5 controller
- A two-year security plan for the controller
- A US Polo brand clothing item
- DayQuil liquid capsules
- Polysporin
- A pack of watch batteries
- A bag of Lay’s chips
The total value of the items was listed at $103.09. The only item Silva paid for was a pair of pants, which he used to conceal the other items, according to court records. He was also carrying a Walmart bag with a receipt from the Prince Frederick Walmart, timestamped at 11:29 a.m. The Dunkirk location incident occurred just over an hour later, around 12:38 p.m.
Deputy Morgal wrote that, based on “the totality of circumstances,” including Silva’s short time in the country and lack of a fixed local address, he placed Silva under arrest. Silva was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center in Barstow. All events were recorded on the deputy’s Axon body-worn camera.
Silva was formally charged with one count of theft: $100 to under $1,500, a misdemeanor under Maryland law. He was released on his own recognizance the same day. Court records indicate that Silva initially waived his right to counsel but was later approved for representation by the Calvert County Public Defender’s Office.
