CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Nov 17 2019 — Chattanooga Police have arrested and charged a Cleveland woman they say she was caught stealing from the JC Penney store at Hamilton Place Mall. Mall security notified police after seeing the suspects steal items on surveillance video. Police responded to the mall and waited for Lorraine Kennedy and Yoganda Clark to walk out of the building. An affidavit obtained by NewsChannel 9 says Clark was carrying a Phoenix drone and a Nerf toy gun, and Kennedy was carrying a large amount of baby clothes concealed in a blue plastic bag from a store called “The Children’s Palace.”
The affidavit says video footage shows Kennedy opening the bag in JC Penney and handing it to Clark. It says Kennedy proceeded to place the stolen baby clothes into the bag. Police say the total value of the stolen goods was $872.99. Police arrested Kennedy and took her to the Hamilton County jail. CPD officer S. Martin says in the affidavit he noticed Kennedy had several active warrants for previous charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, evading arrest, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, disorderly conduct, driving on revoked and financial responsibility.
Back in September, another affidavit obtained by NewsChannel 9 says Kennedy took part in a Walmart robbery involving three other women. It says Kennedy had been caught stealing from Walmart 30 times before that. According to Hamilton Place Mall policy, Kennedy and Clark are now banned from all CBL properties for one year. Officials say both defendants signed ban forms agreeing to their punishment. Both defendants are also banned from all JC Penney locations for life.