4 Target thefts, 40 days, Milwaukee man charged
Ronald Neal
MILWAUKEE - Ronald Neal, 39, of Milwaukee, is charged with five counts of felony retail theft and four counts of felony bail jumping after prosecutors say he stole from Target four times in May and June. A criminal complaint says he also stole from a Home Depot store.
Prosecutors say Neal was out on bail for retail theft when he pushed carts out of the stores filled with merchandise that he did not pay for.
The complaint says Neal stole from the same Target store on Miller Park Way twice on May 13. The first theft happened around 1:30 p.m. when two males pushed carts out of the store without paying. Prosecutors say there was $633.92 worth of merchandise in Neal's cart and $371.94 worth of merchandise in the other cart. Neal's cart was pushed out of the fire door, and the other cart was pushed out the front exit doors of the Target store.
A few hours later, around 4 p.m., prosecutors say Neal was back at the same Target store, concealing items on his person and loading items into a cart. Loss prevention contacted police, believing Neal was going to push the cart out of the store. The thief was identified as Neal, the complaint says, and he was arrested.
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About a month later, on June 12, Neal is accused of stealing $1,010.88 worth of merchandise from the Target store on Chase Avenue. The complaint says the suspect "resembled a previous shoplifter" with the same MO – pushing a cart full of merchandise out of the store without paying.
Seven days later, on June 19, prosecutors say loss prevention at the Target on Chase Avenue realized items were missing and checked their surveillance footage. Video showed Neal stealing items like a box fan and KitchenAid appliances, leaving the store with the unpaid merchandise in a cart.
Three days later, on June 22, Neal was back at Target on Chase, where prosecutors say he stole $1,248.50 worth of kitchen appliances, cleaning/laundry supplies and diapers, again pushing a cart out of the store without paying.
About 15 minutes later on that same day, June 22, prosecutors say Neal stole from Home Depot on 124th Street, leaving the garden area with a cart full of merchandise that he didn't pay for. Law enforcement searched Neal on this occasion, and he was found with three T&G power banks, Dewalt jump starters, Ryobi blowers, a Sentry safe, Cobra portable radios, Tide laundry detergent and Mission charcoal Booney hats. The items were valued at $1,310.75.
Neal made his initial appearance in court July 9. Cash bond was set at $3,500.
Online court records show two other open cases filed against him. At the end of May, he was charged with seven counts of felony retail theft. In January, he was charged with misdemeanor retail theft.
He got a signature bond in the January case after a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to show up for court.
Cash bond was set at $1,000 in the May case after a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to show up for court on June 12, the same day he's accused of stealing from Target on Chase Avenue.