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Stolen car found in Pa. leads back to Salem Walmart

SALEM — A vehicle stolen out of Ashland, Ohio and found in New Wilmington, Pa. last month also contained nearly $600 worth of stolen merchandise from the Salem Walmart, with possible charges pending related to the store theft, according to Salem police and a press release from New Wilmington, Pa. police.

Salem Police Detective Dave Talbert said Thursday that patrol officers had been in contact with New Wilmington Police Chief Carmen Piccirillo, who called Tuesday and relayed the story of how he came across the stolen goods and had been in contact with store loss prevention personnel.

The theft occurred Sept. 20 when a man and woman used the self checkout, a Salem police report said. Talbert called Piccirillo on Thursday for more information and learned that when he found the stolen goods in the car, he made contact with the New Castle, Pa. Walmart and learned the store had an internal report warning other Walmarts to be on the lookout for the pair due to some incidents at other stores. The incident at the Salem store remains under investigation in coordination between New Wilmington and Salem police and Walmart asset protection personnel.

Apparently when asked where she had been after her arrest in the early morning hours of Sept. 21, she allegedly mentioned Salem, prompting Piccirillo to contact the Salem Walmart.

A written press release issued Thursday by Piccirillo told how the tale began. A woman later identified as Jerri Irene Jackson, 38, of Mansfield, showed up at the New Wilmington police station with an empty gas can in need of fuel, seeking help from police. She claimed the car belonged to her cousin from Indiana and ran out of gas due to a fuel line leak. She was accompanied by a male and said the car was parked in a driveway that was a 10 to 15-minute walk from the police station.

The report said the chief became suspicious, but agreed to help because they said they were from Ohio and trying to get back home. They were told to wait at the police station, but when the chief returned with the fuel, only the woman was there. Police became more suspicious due to the fact that the male had disappeared and the woman had no identification with her and only called the male “Nick.”

Police located the car at a residence and determined the Saturn had been stolen in the early morning hours of Sept. 20 from Ashland, which the woman denied knowing about. There was evidence of tampering with the ignition and the woman said she and the male were picked up by her cousin earlier in the day and that the cousin was the driver of the stolen car, but police cleared the cousin of any involvement.

Jackson was charged with felony receiving stolen property related to the stolen car, was arraigned in New Castle, Pa. and then taken to the Lawrence County jail where she remains after waiving a preliminary hearing last week.

The press release said the male was identified as Nicholas Dale Lindecamp, 40, of Mansfield, after further investigation. A charge of felony receiving stolen property was filed against him and a warrant was issued for his arrest, all related to the alleged stolen car. According to the press release, he wasn’t in custody at that time.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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