The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman accused of theft with concerns about being allowed reentry to a home improvement store reportedly planted herself in a lawn chair and demanded to speak with the manager.
At the end of April, the Home Depot located in Woodhaven, Michigan was reportedly visited by a woman shopping for gardening supplies and home improvement items.
The woman went through the checkout and paid for some products, but according to an onlooking worker she was seen hiding some items beneath bags of mulch and never removed them when being rung up at the register.
When the employees reportedly interacted with the woman about the alleged theft they informed her that they planned to keep her at the location and report it to the authorities.
The alleged sticky-fingered shopper reportedly grabbed a lawn chair and unfolded it in the middle of the shopping area of the store after making demands to talk with the store manager, because she did not want to be barred from future entry due to the allegations.
Officers arrived at the store and they were told that the woman was believed to have purposely hidden paintbrushes and painter’s tape under the mulch in an effort to avoid paying for them. It was also reported that when asked, the woman would not provide ID to the store.
When the officers made contact with the accused, the woman reportedly told them her reason for choosing to sit until talking to the manager. In an effort to explain the items that were unpaid for, the woman reportedly stated that she simply spaced and forgot that the products were in the bag.
The suspect, who allegedly did cooperate when the police asked to see her ID, later allegedly recanted her previous denial of the accusations, was given a citation for retail fraud.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.