Not quite. Some details on this sinister group responsible for many depredations in now disarmed England and a great deal of gypsy scam actions here.
Breakthrough in child beating case
Updated: 2002-09-20 17:32:27-05
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Police continue to look for more information that will lead them to a mother seen on a security camera tape beating a young girl in the Mishawaka Kohl's parking lot. It's video that is quite disturbing but it's being shown nationwide in hopes of gaining more information.
Breakthrough in case
Madelyne's sister, 30-year-old Margaret Daley, seen exiting Kohl's with Madelyne, was arrested on Monday at an apartment complex off of Douglas in Mishawaka. She was arrested for failure to cooperate with police. She is now in police custody in the St. Joseph County Jail charged with failure to report child abuse, a misdemeanor. If convicted, she could face up to six months in jail.
Madelyne Gorman/Madelyne Toogood
On Thursday, police released a picture of the woman on the tape. Her name is Madelyne Gorman. She also goes by Madelyne Toogood. She's seen on the tape taken a week ago in the parking lot of the Kohl's department store. As the child got into the car, the woman looked around and then began beating her. Police think the girl, whose name is Martha Toogood, is only 4 or 5 years old.
Irish Travelers
Assistant prosecutor Maggie Jones believes the suspect is part of a group known as the Irish Travelers. The group is known for traveling the country looking for seasonal work. This is why authorities fear the suspect may flee from the Michiana area. Police have received tips from residents in the Main Street Village Apartments in Mishawaka. Police believe Madelyne may have lived there. She was not on any lease but the owner believes she was living here for several weeks. Residents there suspect members of the Irish Travelers moved into Main Street Village Apartments. Since the video aired, no one has seen her around.
The owner of the Elkhart Campground said he recently saw Madelyne. She was visiting her grandmother, who has stayed at the campground for the past 10-15 summers.
Car registered in Texas
Newscenter 16 has learned that the car in the video, a Toyota Sequoia, was registered to an address in the Fort Worth, Texas area. There is a large concentration of Irish travelers in White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth.
Outstanding warrants
Madelyne Gorman has two outstanding warrants in her name in Texas. One warrant is for theft; the other is for driving without a license. The theft warrant was issued in April. At that time Madelyne told police she lived at an address on Bristol Street in Elkhart. If Madelyne is caught, she could face battery charges for the Kohl's parking lot incident. That is a class D felony that could carry a year and a half sentence.
Call if you have any information
Police are still asking for the publics help in trying to track her down. Police have received numerous tips from concerned residents in our area about this case. If you have any information in the case call Mishawaka police at 258-1684 or email them at
Police@Mishawakacity.com.