2 women charged with serving as lookouts for December robbery at Walmart

Douglas County prosecutors Monday charged two women with serving as lookouts for a December armed robbery at Walmart, 3300 Iowa.

Prosecutors filed one charge each of conspiracy to commit robbery against Jadin M. Schmutz, 20, of Lawrence, and Billie Jean Jessup, 20, of Summerdale, Ala.

Schmutz was arrested Monday morning in the 1900 block of Heatherwood Drive, and Jessup, who was in jail on unrelated charges, was served a warrant in Douglas County Jail Sunday night, according to jail records.

Prosecutors in February charged two Lawrence men, Lonnie Scott Schaefer, 22, and William Oliver Paterson, 19, with several counts in connection with the Dec. 13, 2010, armed robbery at Walmart’s money center. The men are also accused of a failed attempt at trying to set fire to the roof of McDonald’s restaurant, 1309 W. Sixth St., to try to create a diversion for the Walmart robbery.

Prosecutors said Monday that Schmutz was more than nine months pregnant and scheduled to induce labor Wednesday, and judge pro-tem James George agreed to set her bond at $5,000 on her own recognizance, meaning she can sign her own bond to be released from jail.

George set Jessup’s bond at $10,000, cash or surety.

Schaefer, Paterson and Jessup are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning. George said Schmutz could speak with her court-appointed attorney to ask about getting her court date delayed.