A Martinsville man, who lied to police about his identity and age, was summoned to appear in Greene Superior Court after allegedly taking items without rending payment at the Jasonville Family Dollar Store. 

Kaden Warthen, 20, is set to appear in court on Jan. 18 on charges of theft and false informing following an incident that occurred on Dec. 11 in Jasonville.

On Dec. 11, Greene County Dispatch received a call from the Jasonville Family Dollar Store regarding a male subject – later identified as Warthen – who had attempted to take items from the store but when questioned returned some of the items. The store manager told Dispatch the male identified himself as Kaden James and claimed he was 17 years old.

When Jasonville Police Department Chief Ryan Van Horn arrived at the store, the store manager showed him the items Warthen allegedly attempted to steal. Van Horn asked for a receipt of the items while he went to speak with an individual still in the store who had been with Warthen. The individual, according to the probable cause affidavit, alleged he didn’t know Warthen very well and did not know he was stealing items from the store. 

Van Horn exited the store and approached a black F-150. According to the probable cause affidavit, Warthen was inside the vehicle. He alleged he did not have any identification when Van Horn asked. He said he was 17 years old, but Van Horn wrote he struggled to tell the year he was born. He alleged his name was Kaden James with a birth year of  2005. When Van Horn advised he was being accused of theft, Warthen allegedly admitted he did take items but gave them back.

Based on the date of birth provided, Van Horn, according to the probable cause affidavit, believed him to be a juvenile. He asked Warthen to contact his mother via his cell phone. When Van Horn spoke with the mother, she advised his name was not Kaden James, but Kaden Warthen, and his birth year was 2003, not 2005. 

Warthen was transported to the Jasonville Police Department for an interview. Van Horn went over the list of items he had attempted to take, which included strawberry refuel drinks, beeswax, deodorant, cookies, gummies, and candy. The total for the items was $33.62. According to the probable cause affidavit, Warthen said he put the items in his waistband and attempted to walk out of the store, but the anti-theft alarm was triggered and he was stopped by an employee. When asked by Van Horn if the alarm had not gone off would he have continued walking out the door without paying for the items, Warten answered in the affirmative. 

According to the probable cause affidavit, Warthen admitted the original date of birth he provided was incorrect. When asked why he provided the name Kaden James, he told Van Horn it was because that was the name he gave the store employee. 

Warthen faces charges of theft and false informing. He is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court on Jan. 18, 2024.