Schaumburg police responded to Kohl’s about 3:42 p.m. Friday to report of a retail theft in progress at Kohl’s, 171 North Barrington Road. Alert loss prevention personnel at the Kohl’s store recognized a female subject who allegedly had stolen items from another store. The female subject was also reported to have been observed on camera allegedly concealing items in her coat while inside the store on Barrington Road.
The suspect was described as a female/white about 5’9″ with a medium build and blonde hair, and wearing a blue sweatshirt and black shorts. The female was accompanied by a male/white subject about 6’0″ wearing a blue jacket and a white T-shirt. Schaumburg police happened to have an officer already on the scene in the parking lot.
The subjects left the store and got into a Mercedes. Police had both suspects in custody by about 3:45 p.m. Friday.
A suspect identified as Amanda Meinheit, 19, of Arlington Heights was arrested and charged with two counts of felony retail theft. Meinheit allegedly stole more than $800 in merchandise from both Kohl’s stores located in Schaumburg. No word on the details of the male subject were available.
Meinheit was also found with a hypodermic needle and syringe, and was subsequently charged with possession of a narcotic instrument.
Bail is set at $10,000 and her court date is scheduled for April 24, 2012.
Amanda Meinheit is on record of being a friend of homicide suspect Mathew Nellessen, also of Arlington Heights, who allegedly beat his father, George Nellessen, with a baseball bat and stabbed him in the neck with a steak knife on April 12, 2011. Mathew Nellessen, with three other suspects present, allegedly stole $800 from his father’s wallet, and then made repeated cash withdrawals from an ATM machine using his father’s account. Meinheit witnessed the 19-year-old Nellessen on a spending spree days after the murder and before he was charged. As part of Nellessen’s spending spree, she received $100 cash from Mathew Nellessen. Meinheit said she was stunned that Nellessen had been charged with murder. Nellessen had previous minor charges for burglary and drugs.
Amanda Meinheit describing Mathew Nellessen as ‘a really sweet kid” who has taken care of her when she was sick, during an interview with ABC7Chicago.
On Sunday, March 13, 2011 Meinheit was involved in a one-vehicle rollover crash on Elmhurst Road, just south of Palatine Road. At the time of the crash, Meinheit’s injuries were believed to be life-threatening, as she was pinned under the roof of the car. A few days later she was in stable condition. Bystanders released Meinheit from under her vehicle, which came to a stop in the oncoming lanes after crossing the four-lane roadway. No other people were injured. See the crash investigation video at The Cardinal Rollover Crash on North Elmhurst Road South of Palatine Rd, Prospect Heights.
On February 17, Amanda M. Meinheit, then 18, was charged with retail theft; and Arnold Zukauskas, 19, was charged with felony retail theft at Dominick’s, 770 South Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove.
On June 18, 2010, Amanda M. Meinheit was arrested for retail theft at Woodfield Mall.
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