Banned from 24 Grocery Chain

[themiraclelady]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: California

I was approached by an employee of store(usually see him doing the checking but he comes across as someone like an assistant manager. I do see him talking at times with a female manager). This is a 24 hour grocery store chain. I have been shopping there for 5 years. I can't remember his exact words but it meant that 3 times I was suspected or 3 times they knew I had shoplifted. The previous 3 months I had done this many times. I am disabled, on a fixed income, many medical problems including out of control diabetes, strokes, complications from diabetes(doctors and nurses were demanding that I eat the right foods and eat 3 times a day because the food aids the medications regulating the sugars. All of my money was going to keeping the roof over my head. I was under so much pressure. I was trying to study to pass my MT program so that I can get a job. These are not excuses. Anyway, this person was talking to me in lecture tones and escorted me out of the store telling me that I was to never come back to this store. "If I EVER see you here in this store I WILL call the police"! This is one of those grocery stores where you can get a card to save on select items in the store. I was using my fathers card from when I was living at home. My parents died and I used it as a way to stay close to my dad. I am middle aged. I use a walker. He did not take down any information like address, social security number, phone number or photo. I was not taken to a room. No police were called. If I have to go to say the drug store that is past this store I walk on the other side of the street or I take a back way that will get me to the drug store area. There have been a few instances where a police car that pulled into 7-11 parking lot and went into it and came out with a drink according to my friend and a minute later he turned left onto the street from the lot and stopped, talked on the phone for a couple of minutes and crossed through the intersection(about a half block from where I was talking to a friend)and parked there for about 10 minutes and then I started to walk down the street going that same back way to my house. I was about half block from where I was talking and the police car took off in opposite direction. In my mind he was talking about me. I might be getting paranoid. I don't know. Do you think that when I was banned from the store and nothing else was done to me that I am in the clear? Or do you think that they have(this happened a shade over 3 months ago) been going through the surveilance footage looking for more on me than what the store guy told me? I keep expecting a car to pull up, whether it is my house or on the street somewhere. I am so very sorry for what I did. I have never done this before in my life. I am also afraid this stress will lead to another stroke(my first stroke happened when I was asleep and when I woke up I didn't know who I was, what my name was, where I lived, did I have a mother or father, sisters or brothers, passwords, pins, etc...amnesia. It took a couple of days for what I was going to remember. It is hard to explain this because the brain is so complicated. Some things are erased from memory and there is other stuff that is like wires are crossed and these things do cloud judgement, decisions, etc. My neurosurgeon told me that I had many risk factors for stroke and each one alone is big enough to cause a stroke but at the top of the list is stress. He told me to take as much off my plate as possible to alleviate pressure. So, I am afraid that if I have a stroke like before affecting the memory that I will go into this grocery store and bam they will arrest me. I am so so scared I can't function)! I am afraid to go about my normal routine and go out in my neighborhood. I live alone with my cats.

[Scott67]

No one can say for sure, but I would say it is most likely that they will let it drop as long as you do as requested and stay out of the store. If they intended to file charges, they probably would have done that already. At any rate, there is no benefit to the store or to the police to have you under surveillence. So, I think your feelings of guilt have you feeling paranoid on that point.

[PandorasBox]

I agree with that. No police, no Civil Demand, just a simple stay away....

This is just my guess: I would guess the manager sees your situation and feels sorry for you. But at the same time, he can't just have someone come in and help themselves to merchandise. You are very lucky.

As for your worry about having a stroke, memory glitch, and then going to that store...my suggestion would be to put a note on the inside of your door, on your fridge, etc., to remind you not go to that store.

Check into your local Department of Human Services, you may qualify for assistance (food stamps, housing and utility assistance). Also, your local food bank, United Way, Meals on Wheels...check into those programs so you can get the healthy foods you need without stealing.

[525601minutes]

http://www.cafoodbanks.org/Find_A_Food_Bank.html

[themiraclelady]

You don't think that they let me go, whether it was to make me think I am clear or not, but thought maybe there are more times and decide to go through the surveillance footage looking to build a big case against me and then call the police and have me charged so filed charges could be made? They do have at least a year to do so. He said the flag that caught their attention was that I wasn't buying very much compared to the previous 4+ years of shopping there(and that was due to my budget for food). But it would probably get down to whether they wanted to make a case against a disabled woman? Things start popping into my head and then I panic. Someone told me that they would have to sit and watch footage and if it were a store open 12 hours a day that would take months. Well, this is a 24 hour store and so(it has been a hair over 3 months since it happened)that is why in my head I am thinking that they'll be knocking on my door or stopping me on the street. Officially, they never got my name and address, etc. but I did use their store card that once you scan it gives you a lower price on select items but that card belonged to my dad when I used to live with them(they are deceased and I live in another city near) but I did a lot of the time use my debit card? Although I don't think that I used it the last several times I shopped there? What do you think now?

[Scott67]

Nothing here changes what we said earlier. Try to relax.

[PandorasBox]

They do have that year. BUT....

(1) You have not received a Civil Demand letter after 3 months.
(2) No police called.
(3) Your personal information was not taken down. No photo was snapped. Your ID was not copied.

Those are all good signs.

Try to relax. And just don't steal anymore.

Scott gave you a link - check into it.

You have internet access....do a search for (your county) Department of Human Services, call and set up an appointment. Read through their site, they will tell you what you need to fill out, what you need to bring, etc.

[Ant29]

What you did to the store was wrong despite your disability or your income situation. Just because we are in a recession doesn't give you or anyone else an excuse to just walk inside a store and take without paying. Stealing is a crime! My dad is physically disabled, yet he pays for his merchandise.

There are many organizations out there that are willing to help you, so you don't have to break the law, you can stay out of trouble, and you can live a stress free life.

You can qualify for food stamps (The Department of Agriculture pays for this), but keep in mind that your case may be subject to Quality Control. The purpose of Quality Control is to reduce fraud in the food stamp program (so much corruption during the 1970s). Like PandorasBox said earlier, you can go to your local food bank or sign up for the Meals on Wheels program.