Aaron Waldrip/Hopkins County Jail mugshot
A Madisonville man was arrested after police were called to a theft from a vehicle at Parkway Plaza Mall on Monday afternoon.
According to Madisonville Police, officers responded to the mall around 2:30 p.m. after a man reported his unlocked truck had been entered and a loaded revolver stolen. The victim reportedly told police he chased the suspect, who took off behind the mall, heading toward the nearby train tracks and wooded area.
Police said they received a photo of the suspect from store surveillance and, with public assistance, located 32-year-old Aaron Waldrip, who matched the description nearby.
Authorities stated that during questioning, Waldrip admitted to taking the revolver and showed officers where he had hidden it beneath a vehicle. Police said they recovered the revolver with all rounds still inside and returned it to its owner.
Police report that Waldrip also confessed to stealing purses from a hospital, which officers later found.
Waldrip was taken into custody and charged with theft of unlawful taking, a firearm, and using restricted ammo during a felony with no shots. He was booked into the Hopkins County Jail.
