The case of Melissa Vanderwall, a former Walmart manager suspected of stealing more than $100,000, has sparked much discussion in the Joliet neighborhood. On the day of the crime, the local police were called to the scene, and it didn’t take long for them to issue an arrest warrant.
After allegedly leaving the store with more than $100,000 a month ago, a former Walmart manager in northern Illinois is now in police custody, according to officials.
In Joliet, Illinois, 45 miles southwest of Chicago, Melissa Vanderwall, a 47-year-old former Walmart night manager, is accused of stuffing $135,988 into a shopping bag and leaving the store on Nov. 27. She turned herself into the Joliet Police Department on Monday for her alleged crimes, according to Chicago’s WGN9.
A warrant was obtained for Vanderwall’s arrest because the suspected theft was seen on security tape. Officials said they obtained the funds from cash recyclers, which are often used to refill cash registers.
After stuffing a shopping bag with cash, Vanderwall allegedly ended her shift early. She was being held on $100,000 bail Tuesday and faces theft and burglary charges, according to court documents.
Local police were called to the area the same day the incident occurred, and an arrest warrant was obtained two days later, according to Patch.com.
According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, “Detectives were actively investigating this case and she was believed to have left the region.”
It is unclear why Vanderwall decided to surrender to authorities Monday morning.
English declined to provide details when asked how much of the stolen money his department was able to collect to preserve the “case’s prosecutorial integrity”
Melissa Vanderwall’s actions have greatly damaged the reputation of Walmart and the Joliet neighborhood. It is unclear how this case will be resolved, but it is clear that justice must be served and Vanderwall must be held accountable for the alleged crimes she committed.