Prosecutor: Fatal chase began with theft of women’s clothing at Wal-Mart

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Court documents allege that a fatal chase all began when a man attempted to steal women’s pants from Wal-Mart.

21-year-old Matthew Edmonds faces multiple felony charges related to the case.

He is accused of leading officers on a chase and crashing into a vehicle driven by 63-year-old Donna Niblock, resulting in her death.

Court documents state that the whole ordeal began Monday morning after Edmonds was seen placing women’s pants into Wal-Mart bags that he pulled out of his pockets, then trying to leave the store.

Beech Grove officers began pursuing Edmonds but the chase was called off due to a school bus in the area.

Officers said Edmonds reached speeds between 80 and 90 miles per hour.

IMPD officers spotted Edmonds in the Fountain Square area, but did not chase him. Edmonds allegedly sped off and struck three vehicles.

One woman was checked at the scene. Edmonds had non life-threatening injuries. Niblock and Rogers were taken to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition.

The child in the truck was taken to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health and is in extremely critical condition. Niblock was later pronounced dead at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.

Court documents state that Edmonds’ call from the Arrestee Processing Center was monitored. Detectives state that Edmonds said “I zoom off, high speed chase, I get away, but I got lost because I ain’t from down here.”

In that call Edmonds is also alleged to have said “they had stopped the chase, then one of them seen me but they had stopped the chase because it had got too reckless” and “long story short, I got into a real bad accident.”

Edmonds faces the following charges:

• Resisting law enforcement (causing death) – Level 3 felony
• Resisting law enforcement – Level 5 felony
• Resisting law enforcement – Level 5 felony
• Reckless homicide – Level 5 felony
• Driving while suspended (causing death) – Level 5 felony
• Driving while suspended – Level 6 felony
• Driving while suspended – Level 6 felony
• Failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death – Level 5 felony
• Failure to remain at the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury – Level 6 felony
• Failure to remain at the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury – Level 6 felony
• Theft – Class A misdemeanor
• Failure to remain at the scene of an accident – Class B misdemeanor