A Newburgh Wal-Mart employee says she was fired after stopping an accused shoplifter. Victoria Smith was on duty at the customer service counter of Wal-Mart?s Route 300 location when a shopper tipped her off to a possible theft. The tipster reported seeing 18-year-old Angel Rivera putting things in her Wal-Mart shopping bag she didn't pay for. Smith confronted Rivera and asked to see receipts, which she says didn?t match up with the items Rivera had.

Smith says Rivera punched her, causing her to take a step forward and raise her hand to defend herself. The fired worker says that act of self-defense led to her termination. Smith says she is struggling to support her five kids and baby granddaughter. She says she doesn?t know why she was not just suspended. Some of Smith's associates are now reportedly circulating a petition demanding she get her job back.