Two Accused Of Stealing $1,000 In Merchandise From Walmart
Staff Report
WARSAW — Two people face theft charges after allegedly stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from the Warsaw Walmart.
Alicia Nichole Cunningham, 29, South Bend; and Brandon M. Taylor, 32, Greencastle, are each charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor; and theft with a prior conviction enhancement, a level 6 felony.
On June 25, 2021, a Warsaw Police officer spoke with a Walmart asset protection employee about a theft that happened on June 16, 2021. The employee said she was informed that an unknown man and woman pushed two carts of merchandise out of the store and refused to show a receipt while leaving. Employees then reviewed surveillance footage of the incident.
According to court documents, footage showed the man and woman walking throughout multiple sections of the store and selecting several items. The man is shown eventually walking to the store’s checkout registers and taking empty shopping bags.
Footage showed the man concealing items in the bags and leaving the store without making any purchases. A sales associate attempted to stop the man from leaving, but the man did not stop. The woman was also shown using the same method as the man, concealing items in shopping bags and leaving without paying for the merchandise.
Between the two suspects, the total value of the merchandise stolen from Walmart was $1,038.
Through assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department, Warsaw officers were able to identify the suspects as Taylor and Cunningham. Mishawaka officers said both Taylor and Cunningham had been involved in a shoplifting incident in South Bend.
Photos of Taylor and Cunningham were also compared to the Warsaw Walmart’s surveillance footage, resulting in positive identifications.
Both Taylor and Cunningham were previously convicted of conversion in St. Joseph County in 2021.
For this case, Cunningham was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on May 12, with a $5,250 surety and cash bond.
Taylor is currently incarcerated in the Putnamville Correctional Facility. There is an active warrant in this case for his arrest.