Ronald R. Spaulding

WARSAW — Police were able to identify a man already in custody as someone who shoplifted from the Warsaw Walmart weeks earlier, thanks to a tattoo on his arm.

Ronald R. Spaulding, 52, 1520 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, is charged with theft, a class A misdemeanor, and theft with a prior conviction, a level 6 felony.

According to the police report, officers with the Warsaw Police Department responded to the Warsaw Walmart on Sept. 22 to investigate a reported theft from the store, which allegedly occurred on Sept. 19. Watching the surveillance footage, police reported observing a man picking up multiple items from the store and leaving the building without paying. The value of the items totaled $211.83. Police said they noticed a tattoo on the left forearm of the suspect and one of the officers identified the man as Spaulding.

Spaulding was interviewed Oct. 6 in the Kosciusko County Jail after having been booked the day before for public intoxication. Police reported making the positive identification by identifying the tattoo.

Police added that Spaulding had a prior conviction for conversion in 2016. He was booked on the additional charges on $5,750 surety and cash bond.