CLARKSTON, WA – A couple who allegedly attempted to steal over $1,800 worth of merchandise from Walmart over the past week was booked into the Asotin County Jail Saturday night on theft charges and outstanding warrants. According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, 46-year-old Derek Bonnalie was booked on charges of 3rd-Degree Retail Theft With Special Circumstances and 2nd-Degree Attempted Theft, while 41-year-old Brook Hendershott was charged with 3rd-Degree Retail Theft With Special Circumstances, Aid/Abet, and 2nd-Degree Attempted Theft, Aid/Abet.
Officials say law enforcement officers responded to a report of multiple thefts at Walmart at 11:07 p.m. Saturday. While enroute, they were advised a female was going through the parking lot pushing a cart. She was located and later identified Hendershott.
“On initial contact Hendershott was argumentative and denied being involved, During the investigation another male arrived, who [a loss prevention officer] stated had also committed a theft, in a silver sedan which was later determined to belong to Hendershott. The male was contacted and later identified as Derek Bonnalie. An investigation was completed reference the theft and PC was established to charge both subjects with Theft [3rd], for working together to commit the crime (22P08014), During the investigation Bonnalie fled prior to being identified, but Hendershott was detained and taken to the Loss Prevention office,” the document states.
While in the Loss Prevention office with Hendershott, the LPO reportedly explained that he had originally started following Bonnalie and Hendershott because he believed Bonnalie to be the suspect from a previous theft on December 6th.
“At this time [the LPO] pulled video from the 6th and showed me a screen shot of the male suspect, which I did believe matched Bonnalie. At this time Hendershott also looked over and stated that was her friend she’d been with tonight and stated the video was from [the] night he got “spooked” and claimed he didn’t take anything, When I asked how she would know that, Hendershott stated she was at [Walmart] that night. However, she then made a comment about not being involved and not realizing what he was up to,” the affidavit states.
The LPO then pulled up video allegedly showing Bonnalie going into the parking lot and getting into a silver car, which officials say matched Hendershott’s.
“When IT pointed this out to Hendershott, she advised that it was her car and she’d already told us she was there that night. [The LPO] advised the theft involved Bonnalie attempting to push out over $1000 worth of merchandise through the garden center, but leaving through the emergency exit when he couldn’t get the carts out,” the affidavit says.
While transporting Hendershott to the Asotin County Jail on multiple outstanding warrants, law enforcement officers located Bonnalie at the Quick Stop on Bridge Street. He was also found to have several warrants confirmed for his arrest and was transported to the Asotin County Jail. Hendershott and Bonnalie were booked on their warrants and later issued their theft charges.
According to the document, Bonnalie and Hendershott had allegedly entered Walmart together on December 6th and “collected a cart full of merchandise, which was then staged out in the garden center. Bonnalie later returned to the garden center with a second cart and pushed it over to a corner near the opening that leads out onto the stores caged patio, which was currently covered using vinyl. Bonnalie then made a [hole] in the vinyl, but wasn’t able to make enough room to get the carts [out],” according to the affidavit.
The LPO advised officers that the video allegedly showed Bonnalie “removing some items from one of the carts and then exiting through the [nearby] emergency exit,” the PC Affidavit says. The LPO reportedly stated that he was unable to verify what the merchandise was, but that “Bonnalie is clearly still in possession of the items as he exits the store and makes his way out to Hendershott’s car, where she was waiting, Bonnalie then loaded the stolen items into the vehicle and they drove away.”
The two abandoned carts were later located by the LPO and the contents documented.
“On the evening of 12/11/2022, I received the [completed] information packet from [the LPO]. [It] included his completed statement, the information for the recovered merchandise ($1,812.61), and video of the incident. [The LPO] verified he could not make out what specific items Bonnalie got away with, just that it was merchandise from the store,” a law enforcement officer states in the Affidavit.
