• An Amish family in Michigan had their horse and buggy stolen from a Walmart parking lot, police said.
  • The horse and buggy were later recovered a little over two miles away.
  • The suspect, a 31-year-old woman, was charged with larceny, as well as larceny of livestock.

An Amish family had their horse and buggy stolen from a Walmart parking lot while they were inside shopping, police said this week.

The Sturgis Department of Public Safety in Michigan said in a news release that police were called to the Walmart in Sturgis, located about 150 miles west of Detroit, last Saturday over a report of a stolen horse and buggy.

A truck driver, who was parked in the lot, told police that he saw a woman stealing the buggy. He provided a description of the suspect.

Related stories

Later that evening, the horse and buggy were found a little over two miles away from the store.

A woman, who was staying in a nearby motel, was arrested without incident, police said.

The 31-year-old, who was not named, had already been approached by police earlier in the day at the same Walmart, but officials did not disclose the reason for that initial contact.

She was charged with larceny and larceny of livestock, pending an arraignment, according to the Sturgis Department of Public Safety, and is being held at St. Joseph County Jail.

The horse was unharmed, and the family had their buggy returned, officials said.

According to Amish America, a website about Amish culture and communities, Michigan has the sixth largest Amish population in the US.

More than 10% of the state's Amish population live in a community near Centreville, roughly 14 miles from the Sturgis Walmart.