WILLMAR -- A 16-year-old Willmar girl pleaded guilty Wednesday to an amended charge of gross misdemeanor theft for stealing $567 of merchandise from local retailers.
Tania Asusena Rodriguez entered the plea as a juvenile in Kandiyohi County District Court. As part of a plea agreement, two felony charges of possession of shoplifting gear, plus another gross misdemeanor for theft will be dismissed. She will be responsible for paying restitution, if any is requested by the retailers.
The charges were filed after two Willmar police officers were dispatched May 14 to Cub Foods on a report of shoplifting.
Loss prevention officers reported that they observed Rodriguez and another teen walk into the store with large shopping bags. They then proceeded to take clothing off racks, put it into their bags and exit the store. The totals cost of the merchandise was $66.47.
The two teens were then apprehended by the loss prevention officers, who went through the bags and found items from Cub as well as merchandise from stores in the Kandi Mall.
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The teens admitted to police officers that they took the items from Herberger's, JCPenney, Maurices and Gliks.
The police officers had store personnel from the mall merchants identify items from their stores, including 13 items valued at $272 from JCPenney, two items valued at $39 from Gliks, six items valued at $177 from Herberger's and one item valued at $12 from Maurices.
Surveillance video was also used to verify the teens were in the stores. The video showed Rodriguez getting a bag from a customer service counter and then putting items into it. The total value of the items was $566.96.
Rodriguez's disposition hearing will be Aug. 20.
