Mother-Daughter Shopping Trip Results in Criminal Charges

A West Allis mother may want look for different activities to do with her daughter after Waukesha police say they tried to steal more than $2,000 in merchandise from Target.

Linda K. Hartleben, 56, and Larayne F. Hartleben, 20, were charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Wednesday with one count of felony retail theft. If convicted, they each face up to 1 ½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

At 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, a security officer at Target spotted the two in the electronics area of the store placing numerous items into carts they were each pushing. At 6:02 p.m., they walked past the checkout lanes and into a Starbucks located within the store, where they each bought coffee and remained in the store.

After lingering inside for another seven minutes, the duo tried to push the shopping carts outside of the store, but they were stopped by security. Both denied shoplifting, saying they just stepped outside to have a smoke.

A total of $2,163 in merchandise was in the two carts.

Larayne later told a Waukesha police officer they came to the store at 3:30 p.m. with a list of items to steal her mother put together so they knew what to take. She said they had done this numerous times in the past at Target stores in Oak Creek and West Milwaukee, along with Pick ‘n Save in Greenfield.

Linda Hartleben admitted taking merchandise from the Waukesha store and getting ticketed with her daughter for theft in Greenfield, but denied taking anything from the Oak Creek or West Milwaukee Target stores.

Both women are currently free on $500 bail while awaiting trial.