Will a Store Figure Out that a Customer Stole Jewelry

My friend was at Spencers yesterday. She messaged me in a very distraut matter. She said that she took a couple pairs of earrings, when she went to the counter to look at the pins (just look)she said the women asked her if she wanted to purchase the earrings. My friend replied with around "No, I'm only looking around and I put them back." She looked at the pins a little more and went to go find her boyfriend and little brother, as they exited the store she said that she saw the lady looking at the earring rack. They ended up leaving after that shop. She said that she made sure the women didn't see and hid well, but she is terrified that she got caught. Did she?

Did she get caught? Yeah. Is anything likely to come of it? Probably not as long as she stays outta Spencers. It's possible a police report was made. Mall security may have been informed as well. If they were, it is possible your friend may be banned from the mall if they see her there.

She is really messed up, how long until she can relax? Everyone said that she'd be fine and she is Okay because they didn't confiscate her bag or pull her to the back, but she is still freaking out.

She can relax when the statute of limitations has run out. You have not indicated your state so we cannot say how long that will be, but in most states that will be at least a year.

Delaware

Theft of under $1500 is a class A misdemeanor in Delaware. The statute of limitations is 3 years.

What does a class A misdemeanor mean?

That is the classification of the charge that your friend's actions would fall under.

She would go to jail

Unfortunately, no, she probably wouldn't go to jail, not if this is a first offense. She'd be fined, and possibly even given some kind of diversion program. Delaware also provides for the store to make a civil demand where she would have to reimburse them plus.

People are saying that she should be fine because they didn't confiscate her bag or try to call anyone or even follow/stop her. Could this be true and that the women was just doing her job?
She stayed home today because the guilt and fear made her very sick, she even threw up on me. I'm glad she said she would never do it again, but all I could say was just not return to the store for a long while and wait to see What happens. I'm scared for her, she had a bright future and now it is at risk because of her stupid impulsive actions.

It could be true, yes. It is not necessarily true.

You're not going to like my saying this, but I hope it is not true. I hope they catch her. I hope she has to take some kind of responsibility for her actions. I hope she does not get away with it. I'm sick and tired of thieves who manage to avoid any responsibility because then the only thing they learn is that there are no consequences to doing whatever they damn well feel like.

She ended up hurting herself if that is any conceltion..

No, she's scared that she's going to get caught and have to suffer the consequences. That's not the same thing.

You are making me really scared for her. She is like my sister and I'm balling my eyes out now. Ugh..we are only 18 and have no one, have nothing. That is why we have each other... now I may lose her..

Please check the drama llama at the front door. This is not the end of the world. We can't promise things will be alright but self-harming is not an appropriate response mechanism. If she is truly self-harming, you need to point her towards help. That would be more important than whether or not she is going to get in trouble for shoplifting.

She does have help, but No doctor or medication has gotten her to completely stop.

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Sorry for this bother, but do you really think Spencer's would put out a search for her?

Yep. I think that for the next few years, she should be leery of every knock on the door, of every cop she sees behind her on the street, of every person who looks at her just a few seconds too long. You never know when the time to serve the warrant will be.

One thing is for sure is if your friend goes back to the mall(not necessarily entering Spencer's Property) a mall cop or an employee may recognize your friend and pull him/her in for an investigation. At that time they would view the CCTV and prosecute as they have one year to do so. Just because your friend was going to the food court does not stop anyone who saw your friend commit the crime or viewed the CCTV from detaining you for a reasonable amount of time to investigate the stolen jewelry.

We don't know if the car your friend was riding had its license plate photo taken by an LP officer along with the photo of the car.If its not your friend's car the driver can be tried for being an accomplice. For all we know the next time your friend is caught driving into the parking lot a mall cop would stop your friend and begin the interrogation process.

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I second this. I hope they catch your friend and give her the maximum sentence such as 300+ hours (on weekends (of community service working on the highway cleaning up trash in extreme weather rain, hot,cold snow in addition to paying all fees bestowed to her. Perhaps your friend should not be your friend and you need to associate with honest people.

Sounds like your friend just wants attention. She can chill. I doubt they will do anything over a little bit of cheap jewelry. They are likely to watch her closer when she goes back in the store though. They will just Chalk that up to their shortage and leave it at that. She can quit cutting herself. It's not that serious.