Longtime Mississippi Coast principal arrested for shoplifting at Walmart, police say

Longtime Bay High School Principal Amy Yarborough Necaise turned herself in to the police Tuesday morning to face arrest on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.

Necaise surrendered at the Waveland Police Department after a Walmart employee came in to sign an affidavit that accused the longtime school administrator of shoplifting items during a visit to the U.S. 90 store Sunday, Police Chief Mike Prendergast confirmed.

Waveland Municipal Judge Preston J. Mauffray recused himself from presiding over the case, and Justice Court Judge Desmond Hoda agreed to step in.

After her arrest, Judge Hoda set a cash bond of $500, resulting in her release on bond.

Necaise allegedly stole items, which Prendergast couldn’t immediately identify, when she used the store’s self-checkout and didn’t scan certain items before she left with them.

Because the charge is a misdemeanor offense, the items have a value of $500 or less.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Necaise has served as the Bay High principal since 2013 and, prior to that, served in the same capacity at Waveland Elementary School.

She is a 1995 Bay High graduate who has served in other capacities in the Bay Waveland School District, including as a teacher, assistant principal, counselor, assistant volleyball coach, and varsity cheer coach.

She also served as a middle school counselor at Bay Waveland Middle School.

Necaise’s brother is Gary Yarborough, a longtime Hancock County Board of Supervisors attorney.

Bay-Waveland School District Superintendent Sandra Reed declined to comment.