Devin S. Rammacher

Stephen E. Norman

Ashley N. Schmidt

Area law enforcement agencies worked together to apprehend three suspects who stole more than $300 worth of items from the Waterloo Walmart early Wednesday morning and led police on a pursuit in Columbia before their eventual capture.

Arrested and charged with felony retail theft in connection with the incident are Stephen E. Norman, 28, Devin S. Rammacher, 27, and Ashley N. Schmidt, 23, all of Dupo. They are in custody at the Monroe County Jail in Waterloo with bond set at $50,000 each.

Police said the three took video games and other items from Walmart about 3 a.m. and drove off in a green 2009 Chevy Malibu. Waterloo police alerted the Columbia Police Department and the car was located by a responding CPD officer in the area of Bluff Road at Valmeyer Road. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the car sped away, leading to a pursuit.

Norman apparently jumped out of the car in the area of Quarry Road at Rueck Road, police said, and fled on foot. The vehicle eventually stopped at a dead end in the area of Rueck Road and Golden Briar Lane, after which Schmidt also left the car and fled on foot. Rammacher, who was driving the car, voluntarily surrendered to police without further incident.

Columbia police requested assistance in locating Schmidt and Norman, with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police and Cahokia and St. Louis County police joining in the search. Cahokia supplied its K-9 unit to assist Columbia’s K-9 unit, with St. Louis County supplying a police helicopter to search from the air. The Columbia Fire Department also assisted in the search by using its infrared thermal imaging camera.

Schmidt was eventually located in the Briar Lake subdivision and was taken into custody, police said. She was charged with resisting arrest in addition to the theft charge.

Norman remained on the run until a fire was reported late Wednesday morning at the apartment complex in which he resides on Lindemann Avenue in Dupo. Dupo police took him into custody shortly after occupants of the burning apartment complex were being accounted for. He was also charged with resisting arrest.

Rammacher was charged with aggravated fleeing along with speeding, disobeying stop signs and other offenses in addition to the theft charge.

No injuries were reported in the incident.