People v. Caplinger

A jury convicted the defendant, Paula Caplinger, of retail theft of property. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 38, par. 16A—3.) Due to the defendant’s prior retail theft conviction, her offense was a Class 4 felony. The trial court sentenced her to two years in prison. The defendant appeals.

On May 10, 1986, the defendant and Peggy Bonnell, a codefendant, were in Pamida Discount Store. Store manager Rollie Streetor told clerk Sheila Sondergroth to watch the two women after he saw the defendant walking toward Bonnell with two audio cassette tapes in her hand.

Sondergroth testified that she watched the…