Woman charged with theft, battery

GREENSBURG, Ind. (Daily NewsWISH) - A Greensburg woman was arrested at Walmart Tuesday afternoon and now faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, according to our newsgathering partners at the Daily News.

According to charging information filed in the Decatur Superior Court Wednesday, Regina L. Martin, 33, of 7063 SR 46, was arrested and charged with Theft (Class D Felony), Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Class D Felony), Battery (Class A Misdemeanor) and Resisting Law Enforcement (Class A Misdemeanor).

The charges stem from incidents that occurred at the Greensburg Walmart SuperCenter Tuesday afternoon, according to a police report authored by Greensburg Police Department Officer Wayne Shake.

The report indicates that, at 5:41 p.m. Tuesday, GPD received a call from the department store involving a shoplifting incident.

The caller reported to officers that the woman, later identified as Martin, possessed cosmetic items hidden in her purse for which she had not paid.

Martin had gone through a check-out lane and paid for various other items in her shopping cart, but made no attempt to pay for the items she had previously placed in her purse, the caller maintained.

An asset protection associate asked Martin to go with him to the store's asset protection office, but she refused and is alleged to have pushed a shopping cart into the employee, causing injury.

GPD officers arrived at the store and found Martin in the parking lot in a van. Officers asked for the suspect's consent to search the vehicle, but she declined, prompting Officers to place her under arrest "on the strength of (the asset protection associate's) statement."

The police report states that Martin was non-compliant during the arrest process and refused to place her hands behind her back. She also physically pulled away from the officers twice, prompting the law enforcement officials to place the suspect against her van in order to be handcuffed. She later initially resisted entering the police car.

A search of the vehicle found a Walmart bag containing a receipt and all of the items Martin had rightfully purchased. Another bag, hidden under a blanket in the van, contained all of the cosmetic items the asset protection associate had alleged Martin placed in her purse.

Charging information notes that these items total $51.58 in value.

Martin was subsequently taken to the Decatur County Jail and booked on charges of Theft, Battery and Resisting Arrest.

After Martin's incarceration, Officers discovered a prescription pill container housing two types of pills, one of which was found to be Oxycodone, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Three of these pills were found in the bottle, and Martin did not possess a valid prescription for them. The suspect did have a prescription for the remaining pills in the bottle.

A sentence enhancement for "Habitual Offender" was added Wednesday to Martin's charges in light of two previous Theft convictions.

The report notes that Martin was found guilty of Theft May 4, 1998 relating to a crime she committed that February.

Martin was again convicted of Theft in June 2007.

Regina Martin is presently in the custody of the Decatur County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond.