This information was provided by the city of Battle Ground.
BATTLE GROUND — On Thu., Oct. 27, at about 6 a.m., Battle Ground Police officers, with assistance from a Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputy, responded to the Battle Ground Walmart store where a reported shoplifter had been detained by store personnel.
Officers made immediate contact with the male suspect who was eventually identified as Daniel Steven Telford, 24, of Toledo.
Store personnel had stopped Telford as he attempted to exit the store with a large box he was pushing with a store-owned pallet lift. According to the witness, Telford had been wearing a Walmart employee work vest and hat, and attempted to pass himself off as a new employee of the store. The box he was pushing was filled with unpaid-for store merchandise. When police officers made contact with Telford, they found he had additional store merchandise in his pockets and pants.
In the meantime, other staff reported that Telford and a female had made numerous trips in and out of the store for several hours. Officers detained a second suspect, a female identified as Lani Rene Kraabell, 43, of Longview, in a van as she attempted to drive from the store parking lot. Officers observed numerous items, appearing to be store merchandise, in the van.
Later, after obtaining a search warrant, officers searched and seized the van and recovered a handgun as well as several pieces of clothing and household goods described as new and having store tags.
Telford was arrested and booked into Clark County Jail on charges of theft II, criminal impersonation and two outstanding warrants, one a felony warrant. Kraabell was arrested and booked into Clark County Jail on charges of theft II. The case has been forwarded to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office.
