Convicted Thief Arrested At Goodwill In New Lenox

NEW LENOX, IL - A woman in her seventies was put into the Will County Jail this month by the New Lenox Police Department after authorities say she stole several items of merchandise from the Goodwill Store and Donation Center on East Lincoln Highway. Velma Waddell, 73, of the 600 block of Whitley Avenue in Joliet now finds herself facing felony criminal charges of retail theft.

Her criminal complaint at the Will County Courthouse states that Waddell is a previously convicted thief, having a prior retail theft conviction in Will County back in 1992.

According to New Lenox Police, Waddell "knowingly took possession of ... a towel, glass candle holders and a martini glass with the intention of retaining such merchandise ... without paying the full retail value of such merchandise."

Waddell was booked into the Will County Jail on Oct. 7 and after spending about 26 hours in custody, she came up with 10 percent of her $30,000 bail.

Jail logs indicate Waddell was in the county jail during the summer of 2017 after being arrested by the Will County Sheriff's Office on charges of retail theft as well, however, those criminal charges were later dismissed, court files show.

Mugshot of Velma Waddell via Will County Sheriff