Lola Marguerite Kelly

WARSAW — An adult has been arrested after surveillance video caught her and a minor shoplifting at a local department store.

At approximately 8:13 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, the Warsaw Police Department received a call from employees at Walmart that a theft had been discovered. Officers learned an employee had found two empty wireless speaker boxes in the women’s clothing department.

Officers reviewed surveillance footage and noticed an “older white female” with white hair in a ponytail and a “white juvenile male” with dark hair enter the store and take an electric cart, which the male drove as the female walked. Court documents state the two of them went to the car stereo aisle, where the female chose two items from a shelf. The two moved to the next aisle, then to the back of the hardware section. When they emerged from the hardware section, the items were no longer in the female’s hands.

Footage shows them next going to the electronics section, where the male showed the female a Black Web bluetooth speaker, valuing $49.92. He is also shown selecting an 808 Canz bluetooth speaker, valued at $24.88. In the video, they placed the items in the cart and the female drove it to the women’s pajama aisle, where the employee had discovered the empty boxes.

The juvenile’s grandmother was able to identify him from still shots taken during the incident. The juvenile’s mother was called in and she identified the adult female as Lola Kelly, 56, 601 W. Winona Ave., Warsaw.

Officers first spoke with the juvenile, whose name is being kept anonymous because of his age. Though at first reluctant, he eventually admitted to taking the bluetooth speakers. He also confirmed the adult female was Kelly and that he gave one of the speakers to her and the other to a friend.

He also told officers Kelly had taken two Android chargers from the automotive section and that they had gone to the hardware section, where she hid them. He also told officers Kelly stole six shirts from the women’s clothing department. He added that Kelly had watched as he removed the bluetooth speakers from the packages and hid them and that she knew the one he gave her was stolen.

Officers next spoke with Kelly, showing her one of the still shots from the footage. She admitted it was she and asked what items the officer was talking about. She initially said she did go into the store but could not remember the incident.

When officers asked her about the items, she denied taking any shirts. She also asked how she was supposed to know the speaker was stolen when the juvenile gave it to her. The officer responded that she was standing right next to him when he took it.

Court documents then state Kelly tried to put the full blame on the juvenile and officers again told her she was watching the juvenile conceal the items and did not attempt to stop him.

Kelly admitted to officers she had taken the items. The speaker was recovered from Kelly’s home and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was arrested Saturday, June 25, and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on charges of theft, a class A misdemeanor.