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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    2

    Default Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: My question involves criminal law for the state of: California
    I went to target with my 7 year old daughter to purchase a book for her. We got the book Then we headed over to the make up section. I spent about 10 minutes there looking at make- up brushes and finally made my choices. I put the 3 brushes in the front part of the cart. My daughter then jumped in the shopping cart to begin reading her book.
    We then headed to the toothpaste aisle where she jumped out of the cart to help me choose toothpaste. At that point I noticed she got her white hat dirty from her being in the cart. Once we picked out the toothpaste she told me she wanted to get back in the cart so I moved my purse from the back of the Cart to the front, which from what was told is considered concealment. She did not jump into the cart yet because we smelled the popcorn and I asked if she wanted some and said yes. So that is why I did not put the rest of our personal items( jackets and hat) in the front of the cart. We stopped at the clearance section where I grabbed two items that were 70% off. We began to walk to the registers to pay and I gave her money to go buy the popcorn, I watched her from the other side of the registers. Once I saw her walking back I grabbed her white hat, white jacket and my jacket and threw it in front of the shopping cart she jumped into the cart I and proceeded to the registers.

    At this point me and her are chomping away at the popcorn we are starving and had plans to meet with family for dinner. I pay for her book the tooth paste and one of the 70% items. We walk towards the exit and exit the store when I'm confronted by an security guard and a plain clothed women. At this point I have NO CLUE what is going on.... I ask them multiple times what is going but obviously they are just yelling at me to keep walking. They walk my daughter still in the Cart and myself into a back room and ask me to pick up my purse and that Is when I realize what is going on. I tell them that it was an accident but all they can do is laugh at me and mock me. This goes on for several minutes, they are extremely disrespectful, aggressive and harsh. Mind you my daughter is present. They hand me a form that states I'm admitting to shoplifting. I tell the ladies that I do not want to sign it and they start yelling at me again. To just admit it and that I'm making things difficult and if I don't sign the form they will call the police and I will be taken away handcuffed and if I want my daughter to have to see that. At this point my daughter is still in the cart she starts crying and telling she's scared. So I take her out of the cart and sit her next To me. They continue threatening me by saying that if they call the police CPS will also be called to take my daughter away. So I sign the form for my daughter sake. In hindsight I feel like a total idiot for signing the form. But all I could think is my daughter is frightened and I'm trying to protect her.

    I am a 33 year old single mother. I am my daughter's example and in no way would I ever have Her believe that stealing is any type of acceptable behavior, EVER. So to be accused of it in that manner is shameful to me. After being there for awhile I explained to both of the LP ladies what happened, they were calmer and nicer to me and told me that it wasn't that big of deal and that it is just petty theft and I could get it take off my record with target and the courts. But I don't want ANYTHING like this to be ever associated with me. An officer was called and I revieved a citation. Is there anything I can do to get the record taken away with target and citation dismissed with the courts? I called to speak to a manager yesterday but he was not much help. Should I call Target's corporate office? What can I do?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    16,474

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    Quote Quoting Lizz4me
    View Post
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: My question involves criminal law for the state of: California
    I went to target with my 7 year old daughter to purchase a book for her. We got the book Then we headed over to the make up section. I spent about 10 minutes there looking at make- up brushes and finally made my choices. I put the 3 brushes in the front part of the cart. My daughter then jumped in the shopping cart to begin reading her book.
    We then headed to the toothpaste aisle where she jumped out of the cart to help me choose toothpaste. At that point I noticed she got her white hat dirty from her being in the cart. Once we picked out the toothpaste she told me she wanted to get back in the cart so I moved my purse from the back of the Cart to the front, which from what was told is considered concealment. She did not jump into the cart yet because we smelled the popcorn and I asked if she wanted some and said yes. So that is why I did not put the rest of our personal items( jackets and hat) in the front of the cart. We stopped at the clearance section where I grabbed two items that were 70% off. We began to walk to the registers to pay and I gave her money to go buy the popcorn, I watched her from the other side of the registers. Once I saw her walking back I grabbed her white hat, white jacket and my jacket and threw it in front of the shopping cart she jumped into the cart I and proceeded to the registers.

    At this point me and her are chomping away at the popcorn we are starving and had plans to meet with family for dinner. I pay for her book the tooth paste and one of the 70% items. We walk towards the exit and exit the store when I'm confronted by an security guard and a plain clothed women. At this point I have NO CLUE what is going on.... I ask them multiple times what is going but obviously they are just yelling at me to keep walking. They walk my daughter still in the Cart and myself into a back room and ask me to pick up my purse and that Is when I realize what is going on. I tell them that it was an accident but all they can do is laugh at me and mock me. This goes on for several minutes, they are extremely disrespectful, aggressive and harsh. Mind you my daughter is present. They hand me a form that states I'm admitting to shoplifting. I tell the ladies that I do not want to sign it and they start yelling at me again. To just admit it and that I'm making things difficult and if I don't sign the form they will call the police and I will be taken away handcuffed and if I want my daughter to have to see that. At this point my daughter is still in the cart she starts crying and telling she's scared. So I take her out of the cart and sit her next To me. They continue threatening me by saying that if they call the police CPS will also be called to take my daughter away. So I sign the form for my daughter sake. In hindsight I feel like a total idiot for signing the form. But all I could think is my daughter is frightened and I'm trying to protect her.

    I am a 33 year old single mother. I am my daughter's example and in no way would I ever have Her believe that stealing is any type of acceptable behavior, EVER. So to be accused of it in that manner is shameful to me. After being there for awhile I explained to both of the LP ladies what happened, they were calmer and nicer to me and told me that it wasn't that big of deal and that it is just petty theft and I could get it take off my record with target and the courts. But I don't want ANYTHING like this to be ever associated with me. An officer was called and I revieved a citation. Is there anything I can do to get the record taken away with target and citation dismissed with the courts? I called to speak to a manager yesterday but he was not much help. Should I call Target's corporate office? What can I do?
    There is nothing that you can do. At least it was a citation rather than an arrest. Stay out of Target in the future and be more careful what you are doing when you are in stores. Unfortunately, you engaged in behavior that is typical of shoplifters so they started watching you carefully. You also engaged in behavior that is typical when you have children climbing in and out of carts. Don't let your daughter ride in the cart anymore.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    7,056

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    Do you know how many of these "it was an accident" scenarios we get on this website each month? Your story is BS. It was not an accident that the brushes ended up in your purse. You got caught and now you will have to pay the piper. It's that simple.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    16,474

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    Quote Quoting budwad
    View Post
    Do you know how many of these "it was an accident" scenarios we get on this website each month? Your story is BS. It was not an accident that the brushes ended up in your purse. You got caught and now you will have to pay the piper. It's that simple.
    They were not in her purse they were under her purse. Some incidents really ARE accidents.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    7,056

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    I stand corrected. But she knows how many brushes she put in her cart and how many she placed on the conveyor to pay for and apparently so did LP.

    Strictly form observation of these type posts because I don't typically respond to them, the more extraneous detail about what caused the problem the less I believe it. And this was a doozy.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    I appreciate your response! And yes I was extremely detailed. In my field of work we document things as soon as they happen so you do not forget details If and when we need to go court. So I did so in this situation for obvious reasons. It's extremely disheartening to hear that there is nothing I can do. What do you think would happen if I contest the citation on the scheduled court date?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thank you for your reply. I was thinking of getting a lawyer to contest the citation, do you think that would be helpful? I honestly do not want this haunting me in the future.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thank you! Exactly they were NOT in my purse at anytime.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    Quote Quoting llworking
    View Post
    They were not in her purse they were under her purse. Some incidents really ARE accidents.
    I think what budwad is getting at is that something drew the LP's attention to the OP, early in her trip to the store. The LP saw her take the make-up brushes, the LP saw her conceal them (whether accidentally or on purpose) and the LP saw her go through the register without paying for them. While accidents do happen, the LP wasn't paying that much attention to Lizz4me by accident. It also doesn't help that she signed a confession.
    Quote Quoting Lizz4me
    View Post
    We stopped at the clearance section where I grabbed two items that were 70% off. We began to walk to the registers to pay and I gave her money to go buy the popcorn, I watched her from the other side of the registers.... I pay for her book the tooth paste and one of the 70% items.
    What happened to the other 70% off item?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    441

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    OP, I don't believe you. I've been working LP for 15 years. I think you knew what you were doing and did it on purpose.

    The place to argue about criminal charges is in a court of law. If you did not intend to steal these items and it was indeed an accident, then plead not guilty and go to trial.

    You have almost no hope of winning.

    As for the admission statement, whether it was voluntary or not really doesn't matter at this point. The police, in more serious cases, use far more coercion than they used to get admissions and those stand up in court all the time. The observation of the LP agent coupled with the signed admission will almost certainly guarantee a conviction - and frankly, the observation and testimony of the LP agent WITHOUT the signed admission would almost certainly be enough to win a conviction as well.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Accidentally Shoplifted at Target

    Let's put it this way.

    Even if the OP is pure as the driven snow, is telling the exact truth and is the one in how many hundreds who really did honestly forget, the court hears that excuse so many times a day that they're not going to believe her anyway.

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