An Indianapolis woman accused of using disguises and hiding inside stores after closing to commit thefts is behind bars following her arrest Tuesday morning.
Jamilee M. Engle, 54, was arrested on charges of level 5 felony burglary and level 6 felony theft. Court records show she is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Engle is wanted in connection with a string of thefts across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, including the Crawfordsville Runnings store.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Detective Sgt. Geoff Payne with the Crawfordsville Police Department, investigators linked Engle to similar theft investigations in Ohio and Kentucky while investigating burglaries at the Crawfordsville store that occurred Dec. 17, 2024, Dec. 21, 2024 and Jan. 9, 2025.
The affidavit references an August 2024 Rural King burglary investigation in Huber Heights, Ohio where police alleged a woman pushed a cart of merchandise through emergency doors to an awaiting vehicle. It also references a November 2024 investigation in Greenville, Ohio where officers reportedly found multiple wigs inside a vehicle connected to the investigation.
Detectives alleged disguises were used during several of the thefts, including wigs and different clothing. Investigators also reported Engle hid inside the Crawfordsville store in a clothing rack until after closing before carrying out one of the burglaries.
Police first responded to the Crawfordsville store on Dec. 17 after an alarm was triggered. Officers found a door on the north side of the building open and later reviewed surveillance footage from inside the store.
Investigators claimed Engle forced open a door near the firearms section before loading stolen merchandise into a vehicle outside. According to the affidavit, nearly $9,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, including DeWalt and Milwaukee power tools, impact wrenches, saws, tool kits and tool boxes.
Police returned to the store on Dec. 21 after another alarm. Surveillance footage showed a male and female entering the store shortly before closing, with the female suspect remaining inside after closing while the male left the building.
Investigators said the suspect later filled carts and trash cans with merchandise before opening a fire exit and passing the items outside to be loaded into a pickup truck.
Detectives collected possible DNA evidence from carts and containers left outside the store and reviewed surveillance footage, social media and outside law enforcement reports during the investigation.
The arrest is not connected to the Dec. 30, 2025 theft of firearms from the same store. In that case, Lance Alan Metsker, 18, of Crawfordsville, was arrested Jan. 2 and later pleaded guilty to level 5 felony theft and class A misdemeanor criminal mischief. According to court records, Metsker was sentenced to four years with 18 months executed in the Montgomery County Jail and the remaining sentence suspended to probation. Records show he is not scheduled to be released until Feb. 10, 2027.
No other arrests have been made in connection to the burglaries.
