Three Women Arrested After Stealing Over $3,600 of Items from Waldorf Safeway

August 13, 2024

Tyliyah Janai Gillis, 22, Kierra Necole Napper, 30, both of Washington DC, and Michelle Sierra Abney, 22, of Fort Washington

On July 30, 2024, at approximately 9:55 p.m., Deputy D. Moats of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a theft in progress at the Safeway store located at Waldorf Marketplace in Waldorf.

According to witness reports, three women had filled shopping carts with various items and left the store without paying. The women then loaded the stolen goods into a white Nissan Rogue and drove away from the scene.

Officer Moats quickly located a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses, heading northbound on Western Parkway. The officer initiated a traffic stop and, upon approaching the vehicle, observed an extraordinary amount of unbagged food items and toiletries filling every available space inside the vehicle. The car was so overloaded that items were scattered across the rear and front passenger seats, and the trunk could not be opened without the contents spilling out. Cold and frozen food items were still cold to the touch, indicating they had been taken recently.

The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Tyliyah Janai Gillis, the 22-year-old driver, Kierra Necole Napper, a 30-year-old front-seat passenger, both of Washington DC, and Michelle Sierra Abney, 22, of Fort Washington, who was seated in the rear of the vehicle. Each of the women provided identification at the scene.

A manager of the Safeway store, arrived at the scene and inspected the items in the vehicle, and confirmed that the items matched those sold at Safeway. According to the employee, the women were observed leaving the store with fully loaded shopping carts. In total, the stolen goods consisted of 464 items, valued at $3,633.22.

After the items were identified, they were returned to the Safeway store. All three women were taken into custody and transported to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center for processing.

Kierra Necole Napper, Michelle Sierra Abney, and Tyliyah Janai Gillis were each formally charged with two felonies: Theft: $1,500 to under $25,000 and Theft Scheme: $1,500 to under $25,000. These charges carry significant penalties, with each offense potentially resulting in up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.

The women made their initial court appearances on July 31, 2024, where they were released on their own recognizance.