Fort Mill teen, 18, used child lookout in Tega Cay store theft, police say

A Fort Mill teen, out on bond on York County theft and drug charges, was arrested Saturday and accused of using a child as a lookout while shoplifting at a Tega Cay Walmart, police said.

Ruth Michelle Ford, 18, is in the York County jail on a $1,250 bond after her arrest Saturday night by Tega Cay Police Department officers.

The juvenile involved was charged with shoplifting and released to her parents, an incident report shows. The child’s age was not available; her name was not released because she is a juvenile.

Walmart employees saw the child attempt to rip a cell phone case off a locking peg in the electronics department, then removed the contents before taking the case to Ford, police said.

The child and Ford then took a wallet from the womens’ department, and Ford tried to conceal items in her pants, police said.

The juvenile was “acting as a lookout for Ford,” police said. Both were detained at the front of the store.

After she was in custody, Ford admitted she was charged a month ago with shoplifting from a Rock Hill Walmart store, Tega Cay officers said.

Court records also show that Ford faces a marijuana possession charge from July.

This story was originally published October 23, 2017 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Fort Mill teen, 18, used child lookout in Tega Cay store theft, police say."