BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A multi-state crime spree came to an end after Bloomington police aided authorities in the capture of a man wanted in a stolen credit card investigation.
Detectives said they received reports from three seniors at Redbud Hills Retirement Community in Bloomington on March 4 about stolen credit cards.
According to court documents, 43-year-old Markinious Hartfield would disguise himself as a woman to gain entry into the retirement home.
All three seniors told police they left their apartment for a short period of time and later realized their credit cards were used at various Walmart locations in Indiana and Kentucky.
Detectives viewed Walmart's surveillance cameras to track the suspect and his vehicle.
Investigators then checked with every police station in the U.S. for a match on what would turn out to be a fake license plate. Authorities in Quincy, Illinois, were working a similar case, searching for the same suspect.
Indiana and Illinois aren't the only states Hartfield reportedly targeted.
Court documents show Hartfield has seven active warrants out of six states targeting retirement homes in Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
The retirement homes targeted are owned by Holiday by Atria.
Authorities believe Hartfield focused on those retirement homes because "none of their facilities have surveillance camera systems."
Following a monthslong investigation, Hartfield was arrested in June by Texas authorities after a traffic stop.
Police said Hartfield's 40-page long criminal history shows dozens of charges and convictions for burglaries and financial crimes dating back to 2006.
He is awaiting extradition back to Indiana to face charges.
Holiday Redbud Hills shared the following statement with 13News:
“We had previously been contacted by police regarding an individual misrepresenting themselves as a private caregiver in senior housing communities. In response, we began an internal review, notified our communities of what the police shared and have continued to provide assistance to police investigators.
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community remains our highest priority. We continuously evaluate our security protocol to ensure we’re taking proper precautions while also respecting our residents’ privacy and helping them maintain their independence.”