What started as a routine shoplifting call at the Indiana Premium Outlets in Edinburgh on Wednesday, July 15, spiraled into a multi-county pursuit that left a store employee seriously injured and several others hurt in a string of crashes. Police say the suspects bolted in two vans after the worker stepped outside to grab identifying information, and one of the vehicles hit the employee in the parking lot. Officers later arrested an adult woman and a 17-year-old juvenile, and more suspects were detained after a crash near Shelbyville. The chaotic afternoon has sharpened concerns among local law enforcement and retailers about organized outlet thefts popping up along the I-65 corridor.
Edinburgh police and Edinburgh Fire and Rescue were dispatched around 3:30 p.m. after reports that a pedestrian had been struck in the outlet mall lot, according to WJCP. Witnesses gave officers a license plate number and described a black Chrysler van and a second vehicle with Ohio plates racing away east on State Road 44, the station reported.
High-speed pursuit and crashes across counties
A Shelby County deputy soon spotted the suspect vans on SR 44 and tried to pull them over, but the vehicles took off and reportedly hit speeds up to 100 mph before one of them crashed west of Shelbyville, according to WKRC/Local12. The outlet reports that an off-duty Shelbyville officer jumped in to help and that stop-sticks were later deployed in Decatur County, where three suspects were taken into custody. Multiple adults and juveniles were treated for injuries tied to the crashes, and Indiana State Police were called in to investigate the wreck near Shelbyville.
Arrest and charges
WKRC/Local12 identifies the arrested adult suspect as Adenika Tellich, who is reportedly on probation from a previous Cincinnati conviction and is now facing a charge of robbery with serious bodily injury. Chief Doyne Little Jr. told WXIN, in comments quoted by WKRC, that "I guess the crossroads to Indiana comes through Edinburgh for shoplifting" because the outlets sit right off I-65 and offer quick interstate access. A 17-year-old was also taken into custody, and investigators say more charges could be filed as they sort through crash details and hospital releases.
Police appeal and ripple effects for retailers
Investigators are urging anyone with video or information to contact the Edinburgh Police Department as the case moves forward, according to WJCP. Officers and store managers warn that some coordinated theft crews use juveniles or very young children as distractions and that suspects who hop state lines can make prosecution more complicated. Authorities say the investigation is still active and that they plan to pursue additional charges as evidence is processed and injured parties are released from the hospital.
