A former Walmart manager is now facing felony charges after being caught on video surveillance allegedly stealing $135,988 from the Joliet, Illinois, store where she was employed.
Melissa Vanderwall of Romeoville turned herself in on Monday, March 6, to local authorities in Joliet, Illinois, located 45 miles southwest of Chicago.
The 47-year-old woman reportedly emptied cash from cash recyclers that are used to restock store registers into a shopping bag. She ended her shift early after allegedly taking the money, according to reports. Officers were called the same day when it was discovered and issued an arrest warrant for Vanderwall two days later.
The alleged theft took place on Nov. 27, 2022, at the store located at 2424 West Jefferson St.
Police searched for Vanderwall, but she reportedly left the area the same night of the theft.
“Detectives were actively investigating this case, and it was believed she had left the area,” Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English told Patch.com.
Joliet police didn’t disclose if any of the money was recovered.
Patch.com reports that English replied in an email, “I cannot speak on the status of the money, as it is an integral part of this case. Doing so might interfere with the prosecutorial integrity of the case.”
Vanderwall was booked and charged with theft and burglary after turning herself into Joliet police on the arrest warrant. Bond for Vanderwall is set at $100,000.
Walmart CEO and president Doug McMillon told CNBC in December 2022 that theft at their stores has been higher “than what it has historically been,” according to Business Insider. The rising theft numbers, reportedly due to shoplifting, including through the self-checkout feature the company is increasingly turning to, could result in stores facing closure over financial losses.
“While we don’t discuss details related to illegal activity in our stores, we’re continually exploring effective ways…
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