Store cart pusher faces theft charge

Charges have been filed against a Bloomfield man, in connection with an incident of theft that occurred while he was working as a cart-pusher at theWalMart store in Linton.

A preliminary charge of theft, a class D felony, was filed in Greene Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon against 23-year-old Tony L. Gardner.

The charge was made after an investigation by Linton Police Department Patrolman Jayson Smith after a Jasonville woman reported her purse was missing around 8-9 p.m. on Aug. 6.

According to the police report and a probable cause affidavit written by Smith, the woman had been shopping at the store then left in her vehicle. When she reached Lone Tree Road, she realized she had left her purse in a shopping cart so she returned but the purse was gone.

When she asked at the service desk if anyone had turned it in, an employee walked up to her carrying the purse and said he had found it in the parking lot. The only thing missing from the purse was $70 cash out of her wallet. She said she was going to contact the police and went to her vehicle to make the call and wait for an officer.

While she was waiting, the employee walked up to her car, gave her the $70 and said he had found it lying underneath a car. She thanked him, asked him for his name, then drove to the Linton Police Department. She told officers that she found it unusual for the same person to find the purse then go out into the parking lot and find the money.

Officer Smith located the employee, Gardner, at the store and interviewed him in the presence of two managers.

Smith wrote in the affidavit that Gardner stated he did take the purse out of the cart, opened it and took the money out and placed it in his pocket. When he saw the lady return to the store, he returned the purse then after she said she was going to call the police, he became scared, returned the money and told her she didn't have to call the police.

A warrant for Gardner's arrest is expected, but had not yet been issued on Wednesday afternoon.