17-Year-Old Racking Up State Charges of Theft

A 17-year-old Milwaukee girl charged with theft from a Wauwatosa department store now has three such cases pending at the state level, court records show.

Ebony Champaigne Dancer was charged Friday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with retail theft as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to nine months in jail.

At 9:29 p.m. Thursday, Dancer was arrested for theft and bail jumping at Kmart, 3201 N. Mayfair Rd., after she tried to leave the store with seven items worth $104 hidden in her purse, which contained a foil-lined booster bag. She had been spotted concealing the merchandise, according to a criminal complaint.

Dancer told police she was planning to sell the items for cash. A record check showed she already had two pending retail theft cases, so she was sent to the County Jail.

Both prior open cases were filed just in January.

Dancer was declared indigent by the court, making her eligible for a public defender. She has pleaded not guilty and has her next hearing in her latest case scheduled for May 31.

Dancer and her defender were also advised that because of the mounting charges against her, all cases had been assigned to a higher branch judge.