BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington woman’s attempt to earn rewards points at Build-A-Bear Workshop led to her arrest for a six-month-long series of thefts, including stealing a debit card during a funeral service.
Amy Michelle Dowden, 38, was identified after using a stolen debit card to make a $72.76 purchase at the Build-A-Bear store in Bloomington College Mall. Police say Dowden’s decision to provide her name and email address for a rewards program during the transaction proved crucial to solving the case.
According to court documents, the theft occurred during a service at the Funeral Chapel, where Dowden allegedly introduced herself to another attendee, claiming her mother knew the deceased. The victim later discovered missing items, including $70 in cash, multiple cards, and a family member’s debit card, which was subsequently used at Build-A-Bear.
Investigation revealed this incident was part of a larger pattern of criminal activity. Court records detail multiple thefts between April and October 2024, including:
- Fraudulent use of an elderly woman’s credit card for Duke Energy payments
- Multiple thefts at the Monroe County Public Library
- Several incidents on Bloomington Transit buses
- Unauthorized purchases at various locations, including Domino’s Pizza, DoorDash, Hardee’s, Amazon, Harbor Freight, Kroger, and Walmart
In one notable incident, Dowden attempted 28 unauthorized transactions totaling $7,744.22, though only nine transactions worth $22.06 were successful.
Dowden is currently being held at the Monroe County Jail.
