Staff Report

WARSAW — A South Bend man and Fort Wayne woman face charges after allegedly shoplifting over $900 worth of items from a local sporting goods store.

Derrick Fowler, 54, 4161 Lathrop St., South Bend, is charged with theft, a level 6 felony; possession of cocaine, a level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor. 

Ja Mesha Brantly Randolph, 45, 1203 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne, is charged with theft, a level 6 felony.

On Nov. 16, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department was dispatched to Dunham’s Sporting Goods in Warsaw in reference to a shoplifting incident. 

Information provided by Central Dispatch stated that a man and woman had grabbed arms full of clothing and coats and left the store without paying for the items. Both suspects reportedly entered a red 2011 Kia Soul with an Indiana license plate and traveled west on Center Street. 

A Warsaw Police officer located the red Kia Soul at Center and Detroit streets in Warsaw and stopped the vehicle on High Street. Prior to the vehicle stopping, occupants in the back seat could be seen throwing clothing items from the car.

Fowler and Randolph were in the back seat of the vehicle and were identified as the suspects. Other occupants in the vehicle included a male driver and a female front seat passenger. It was later determined that neither the driver nor the front seat passenger were aware of the theft until being stopped by police. 

Randolph allegedly admitted to police that she and Fowler decided prior to entering Dunham’s that they were going to steal items from the store. 

The two went to the winter clothing section of the store and took approximately $952.97 worth of items. 

The driver of the vehicle was found to have a suspended license. The vehicle was inventoried for a tow-in. During the inventory inspection, a small metal spoon with burn marks and brown residue was located in the center console. 

A broken glass smoking device with burn marks and white residue was found in the ashtray. In the right rear passenger door area, police found a Newport cigarette pack containing a glass smoking device with burn marks and white residue. 

Fowler reportedly admitted that the drug items belonged to him. He also stated he stole all the clothing items from Dunham’s. 

The residue found on the glass smoking devices tested positive for cocaine. 

Fowler and Randolph were both booked at the Kosciusko County Jail on Nov. 16, each with a $5,250 surety and cash bond.