MITCHELL — A 60-year-old Mitchell woman was arrested Wednesday, September 9th, after police said she stole hundreds of dollars’ worth of Halloween decorations from a local grocery store.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Mitchell Police Detective Cody Grogan, officers responded to Ruler Foods at 1240 West Main Street regarding a theft that had occurred the previous evening.
Store management informed police that a female customer entered the business on September 8, loaded four “Holiday Home Pose-n-Stay Skeletons” into a shopping cart, bypassed the self-checkout registers without paying, and loaded the items into the bed of a pickup truck. The items were valued at $84.99 each, though on sale for $39 at the time of the incident.
Using store security video and assistance from community members and local officers, police identified the truck used in the theft as belonging to a local resident. The owner of the vehicle informed police that his wife had spent the previous evening giving a ride to a friend named Dana, pointing officers to a residence near Knott Street.
Detective Grogan located the suspect, identified as Dana Baker, 60, at a residence at 428 North 4th Street in Mitchell.
When questioned by police, Baker claimed the incident was a misunderstanding and stated her friend had paid for the skeletons in advance and told her to pick them up. However, when interviewed by police later, the driver of the truck denied Baker’s claims, stating she merely gave Baker a ride and had no prior knowledge that Baker intended to steal items from the store.
Officers located all four stolen skeletons still inside their original boxes in Baker’s garage. The merchandise was recovered, photographed, and returned to Ruler Foods to be placed back on sale.
A background check revealed that Baker has prior convictions for theft and conversion in Indiana, elevating her charge to a felony. She was detained and transported to the Lawrence County Jail on a charge of theft with a prior conviction, a Level 6 felony.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
