Walmart Shoplifting Shame: Indiana State Senator Quits Over Alleged Thefts at Stores in Three Towns — Blames Changes in His Judgment and Thinking
Ron Alting has not been charged with the alleged thefts.
Oct. 22 2026, Published 7:57 p.m. ET
A veteran Indiana senator is quitting after being caught allegedly robbing three stores, Breaking Celebrity News can report.
Ron Alting, who served in the Senate for 28 years, was allegedly seen stealing from Walmarts in Naples, Lafayette, and Monticello, Florida. Shortly after the allegations came to light, the Republican senator announced he’d be resigning from politics.
'I Need to Bring My Time in Public Office to an End'
Rom Alting resigned from his role this week.
"Twenty-eight years ago, I asked the people of this community for the privilege of representing them in the Indiana Senate. It has been the greatest honor of my life," he wrote on Facebook. "After many difficult conversations with my family, my doctors and people I have trusted for many years, I have concluded that I need to bring my time in public office to an end and devote my attention to my health and my family."
Alting represented District 22, which encompasses the majority of Tippecanoe County.
The 70-year-old explained he's receiving a series of cognitive tests from doctors due to "concerning changes" in his behavior, rationale, and general cognition.
These have included MRIs, mental health evaluations, and examinations from neurologists and geriatric doctors.
Seemingly referencing the robberies, Alting wrote these "changes" have caused him to act in ways "wrong" and unusual for him.
"I take responsibility for my actions. I am deeply sorry for the hurt and disappointment I have caused my family, friends, colleagues, constituents and the store employees involved," he added.
Doctors have not yet found the cause of the change in cognition, Alting shared, but they're continuing to work toward answers.
Reflecting on His Career Beginnings
Alting first ran for the senate in 1998.
Remembering where it all began, Alting attached a short documentary he released while running for the Senate in 1998. The 15-minute film features family, friends, and Alting discussing why he wished to represent his county in the Senate.
Before becoming senator, he was the president of the Lafayette city council for three years.
Since winning, Alting has been named Legislator of the Year nine times.
Public Policy Work
Alting was appointed to the chair of the Senate Committee on Public Policy.
In 2011, 13 years into his time in the Senate, he became chair of the Senate Committee on Public Policy.
In this role, Alting wrote and voted on legislation impacting Indiana residents beyond District 22.
Notably, in 2015, he voted to pass the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This granted Indiana residents and companies the ability to argue "religious burden" in court cases.
Alting later came out and shared he regretted the vote.
Hate Crime Legislation
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Alting wrote a bill focused on hate crimes.
But in 2019, he and Mike Bohacek wrote Senate Bill 12, allowing judges to consider whether a victim was targeted based on gender, race, ethnicity, or similar factors.
"You can be on the right side of Indiana history, but more importantly, you can be on the right side period," Alting said at the time.
Before the historic bill passed, Indiana was one of five states that lacked hate crime laws.
