My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana
My 14 year old daughter went shopping with her grandmother at our local Wal-Mart. I was later recieved a call from her and was told I had to come get her. L/P informed me after I arrived that they had her on camera opening a tube of lip gloss and applying it- which she does not deny and though not right; is understandable that she may not have understood it as an act of theft.
My daughter lives a very sheltered life; she attends a small Catholic high school and when not at school is either home, practice or participating in sports so has never been in any trouble stated that she was going to buy it then realized she had left her money in her grandmothers car (which she had a little over $30 in her grandmothers car) so returned the lip gloss on the shelf where she originally got it then met back up with her grandmother.
When the two of them attempted to leave, she was confronted by the L/P personnel and was asked what was in her purse- to which she stated nothing- she emptied out her bag for them and there was no lip gloss or anything associated with the store. They then brought her and her grandmother to the L/P office where they asked her what she had done with the lip gloss- she told them that she put it back on the shelf where she got it and was made to go and get it from exectly where she had originally gotten it.
The whole situation has a nasty smell to it since the version given by the L/P personnel does not match the story from my daughter or her grandmother- I was told by the L/P personnel that she put the lip gloss on then must have ditched it in the store; yet my mother-in-law informed me just as my daughter had, that she had to go out to the floor and get it from the shelf and that it was in the L/P office when they spoke with me.
Just hoping for some input regarding this situation.

