Bowling Green Police were called to the parking lot of the Meijer store, 2100 E. Wooster St., on Sunday evening by a woman who left her ID and credit cards in the grocery cart when she left the store.
When she realized she left them behind, she returned to the parking lot. The woman then asked two girls, ages 13 and 14, sitting in a car by the cart corral if they had seen the items. At first, they reportedly denied seeing them, but then found the credit cards under the car. When the woman looked in the car and saw her ID, the girls gave it to her. The only item still missing was a gift card with about $100 left on it.
When police arrived, an officer asked one of the girls to call her mom, who was inside shopping. When the mother, Heide Cox, 32, of Bradner, came outside, the officer tried to explain he was investigating a theft.
Cox reportedly tried to get in the driver’s seat, but was told by police that she could not leave. She drove away anyway, but when a second police cruiser arrived on the scene, she pulled into the Meijer gas station lot.
Meanwhile, the victim reported there had been attempts to use her credit card online, but the charges did not go through since she had immediately reported them missing.
Police reviewed a video of the parking lot, which reportedly showed one of the teenage girls walking to the grocery cart and taking an ID card holder with a lanyard. When confronted with the video, the girl continued to deny taking the cards, then said she took them so she could turn them in.
Cox was issued a citation for failure to obey an order from a police officer. She and her daughter were released.
The other girl reportedly asked to confess to police. She said the gift card could be found inside a maxi pad on the front seat of the car. Cox later came to the station to turn in the gift card.
The two girls were referred to the juvenile prosecutor for possible theft charges.
