Police: Dollar Store Thief Ran From Police, Had $500 in Pocket

Police say a Racine couple was taken into custody after they stole soda from the Dollar Tree on Washington Avenue even though the man had $500 cash in his pocket.

Deshaun Mosley, 25, and Tyquanda Mayfield, 21, were charged in Racine County Circuit Court with misdemeanor retail theft. If convicted, they each face up to nine months in jail and/or up to $10,000 in fines.

But, Mosley is also charged with a misdemeanor count of obstruction and eight counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. If convicted, he faces up to six years, four months in jail and/or up to $90,000 in fines.

Mayfield faces an additional charge of misdemeanor theft from an incident at Walmart last March. She could also get another nine months in jail and/or up to another $10,000 in fines if convicted of this charge.

According to their criminal complaints, both defendants Tuesday visited the Dollar Tree store at 5201 Washington Avenue around 7 p.m. Witnesses say Mosley was observed leaving the store shortly before Mayfield also left with a bulging purse. A store employee confronted both Mosley and Mayfield about stealing soda and other items, but instead of coming back inside the store, they ran east toward Roosevelt Avenue and then north across Washington.

Mount Pleasant and Racine police officers responded to the scene to search for the defendants. Officers were told of their location by another witness in the area, the complaint reads. The man also informed officers that Mayfield ditched her bag along her escape route at about Roosevelt and Washington avenues.

Police say Mosley was apprehended in the 900 block of Ohio Street while Mayfield was taken into custody in the 900 block of Echo Lane.

While being searched during his arrest, officers say they found $500 in cash on Mosley. Police located Mayfield's purse and report that they found, among some other items from Dollar Tree, three sodas with a retail value of $11.

Mayfield also went before the court commissioner Wednesday for an initial appearance because she is accused of stealing food from the deli at Walmart by walking around the store eating it but not paying for it.

The Walmart incident took place on March 27, and store security told police they witnessed in person and on surveillance video Mayfield ordering food from the deli and eating it while walking around the store gathering other items. When she got to the self-checkout, she did not scan the empty containers of food, the criminal complaint reads.

More, police say she took several bottles of liquor and placed them in a plastic tub. She scanned the tub, but not the bottles inside. Store security recorded the license plate of the car Mayfield was in as she drove away.

Mosley was assigned a $3,000 cash bond and will next be in court on Sept. 9.

Mayfield was assigned a $100 cash bond for each of her theft cases, and she will next appear in court for both charges on Aug. 29.

Both defendants remain in the Racine County Jail.