Jamaican Mothers Sentenced & To Be Deported After Using Baby In Stroller As Decoy For Perfume Theft Spree At Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works & Penha
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By Alric Lindsay
A Jamaican mother of five and a Jamaican mother of two, who stuffed stolen perfumes into a baby stroller while shopping with a three-to-four-month-old infant, were spared immediate prison time on March 11, 2026, but ordered to leave the islands as prohibited immigrants after a judge branded their actions “despicable.”
Nekeisha Bell, 44, and Johnel Krystalette Walker, 31, both janitors on work permits, pleaded guilty to stealing from three stores — Penha, Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works — on November 22, 2025.
CCTV footage played in court showed the women repeatedly placing high-value perfume bottles into the bottom of the stroller where Walker’s baby was sitting, then calmly leaving the stores.
Store staff pursued the pair after noticing missing items; the women returned several bottles but were later found with more.
In a strongly worded sentencing, the Chief Magistrate described the offence as “blatant” and “planned”, telling the women: “I find that to be despicable. You all should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves… using a young baby who is an innocent participant in all of this.”
She added: “I don’t accept that you… do dirty deeds and then turn around to use a child as an excuse to get out of it. I don’t buy that at all.”
The court heard the women moved from store to store in quick succession, using the baby and crowded conditions as distraction.
Defence lawyer Stacy-Ann Kelly argued the stroller was used as a “push-pram decoy”, calling it “very poor judgement” by Walker.
Stacy-Ann Kelly
After hearing from legal counsels, the Chief Magistrate sentenced the duo to six weeks in prison, but suspended the sentence for two years. The decision was made with a strict condition: the women must report to Customs & Border Control tomorrow morning with airline tickets and leave the Cayman Islands by Friday. They were declared prohibited immigrants and warned that any return would activate the suspended sentence.
The court also considered the baby’s welfare. The women’s employer was present in support, holding the baby outside the court room while proceedings were held. The Chief Magistrate gave the women time to arrange care for the infant rather than immediately calling the Department of Children and Family Services.
Note to readers
The case may spark new discussions locally about shoplifting, the misuse of children in crime, and the pressures faced by migrant workers. All stolen goods were returned and the defendants are expected to send letters of apology to the local stores.
