Man Accused Of Stealing Donation Bin For Sick Kids From Walmart

LIVONIA (WWJ) - A 54-year-old man is accused of trying to steal a donation display meant to benefit sick kids from a local Walmart store.

The incident happened around 9:45 p.m. back on Tuesday, September 20 at the Walmart off Plymouth and Middle Belt roads in Livonia.

Police say Mark Wilson, of Westland, simply picked up the three-foot tall Children's Miracle Network donation canister that was located near the front door, placed it in a shopping cart and walked out of the store. He then loaded it into the bed of his pickup truck in the parking lot, where he was confronted by loss prevention officers.

The officers recovered the canister, along with the donations, and contacted Livonia Police.

Wilson was allowed to go home that night. But this week, after a two-month long investigation, officers showed up at his home in Westland and placed him under arrest.

On Tuesday, Wilson was arraigned in Livonia's 16th District Court on a charge of larceny under $200, a 93 day misdemeanor. Bond was set at $9,000.

In a statement, police thanked Walmart loss prevention "for their diligence and assistance in recovering the donation bin."