INDIANAPOLIS — Arrest warrants have been issued for two people accused of stealing a stroller and tablet belonging to a young boy with autism at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.
The victim, April Clerkley, told WRTV she was visiting from out of town on Feb. 28 when her son's $600 collapsible stroller was taken while unattended. A Samsung Galaxy Tab9 tablet, valued at $400, was inside at the time.
"All of his favorite things, his favorite snack container, his iPad, his whole diaper bag, like everything was just gone," Clerkley told WRTV.
According to a probable cause affidavit, security video shows two people, identified as Jasmin Johnson and Travis Brown, were seen arriving at the museum without a stroller.
Around 4:47 p.m., they're seen lingering near the stroller before Johnson pushes it toward Brown, with one of her own children in her arms. The two then walked out of the museum with it.
Shortly after, the stolen tablet was tracked to a residence on Indianapolis' southwest side. While officers were on scene, the victim arrived and the tablet began moving again, later pinging on I-465.
Days later, Facebook messages from accounts linked to both suspects told Clerkley the stroller had been sold for $250. One account offered to return it if she agreed not to press charges.
Clerkley told WRTV her son was devastated by the loss. Since then, the community has rallied around the family, and she has been able to replace both items.
WRTV reached out to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which provided this statement on the incident:
The safety and well-being of the children and families who visit is extremely important to us. Incidents like this are uncommon at the museum—we have a full security team and extensive camera system that is fully functional. There was a miscommunication regarding the footage on the day of the incident. There was a brief and temporary issue with video playback immediately following the theft, but that was quickly resolved and did not affect the functionality of the camera or the capturing of footage. We have provided all of the security footage to the IMPD and have been cooperating with their ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information on Johnson or Brown's whereabouts is asked to contact IMPD.
