Tamya Staten, 21, has been formally charged after allegedly pulling a handgun on workers at an Indianapolis children’s resale shop.
The Marion County prosecution, filed Tuesday, accuses the young mother of felony intimidation with a deadly weapon and pointing a firearm at another person. The confrontation unfolded in July at Once Upon a Child, a store on the city’s north side that buys and sells used kids’ clothing and gear.
Staten had come in hoping to sell her toddler’s clothes, according to court documents. While she waited, her child climbed into a small toy car and began riding around the sales floor. A store employee approached and told her that playing inside violated company policy.
That routine reminder triggered an explosive response. Staten allegedly reached into her leggings and produced what workers described as a large black handgun.
“We can fight about it. We can get down,” she allegedly told the staff.
Witnesses told police she pointed the weapon at employees while instructing her child to continue playing. At one point, she reportedly poked a worker in the face with her finger and warned, “I can use this [gun].”
Store surveillance cameras recorded the entire episode, footage that would prove critical to the investigation. The video showed Staten gathering her child and leaving the shop, then driving away from the parking lot. Investigators used her license plate number and the identification card she had presented to staff when initiating the sale to track her down.
The charges carry significant prison exposure. If convicted on both felony counts, Staten faces up to eight and a half years in state custody.
The incident highlights the escalating dangers retail workers face when enforcing commonplace store policies, even in family-oriented businesses. Once Upon a Child, a national franchise with hundreds of locations, operates on a consignment and resale model that draws parents with young children daily.
Staten had no prior interaction with the employees before the July visit, according to the court filings. The worker who delivered the no-playing policy was following standard procedure for a shop floor crowded with merchandise.
Police have not disclosed whether the firearm was recovered or whether Staten holds a valid permit. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced the charges Tuesday following review of the surveillance footage and witness statements.
