Walmart Shopper Fakes Labor Pains To Avoid Shoplifting Arrest

See if you can follow this: Two women were suspected of shoplifting at an Ohio Walmart. When confronted by Walmart security outside the store, it was determined that they hadn’t left the building with the allegedly purloined merchandise. Security was about to let them go when the women called the cops to complain about being unlawfully detained. The cops arrived and determined the women actually could be arrested for shoplifting. That’s when one woman faked labor pains to escape going to jail.

According to police, the two women had been spotted on security cameras replacing price labels on software with homemade labels. For some reason, instead of leaving the store with the merchandise, they left it inside as they exited the building. That’s when Walmart loss prevention staff stopped them.

Says the police:

They didn’t have the items that they saw them conceal… So Walmart actually was going to let them go. The suspect actually called us and wanted to complain that Walmart unlawfully detained them for a theft offense that they didn’t steal anything.

But after checking out the store’s video footage of the incident, the police determined the women had still been in violation of Ohio law. The women were arrested and put into the back of separate police cars.

The police lieutenant says that one suspect “told me she was nine months pregnant and believed her water broke,” so he had the officer take her to a local hospital, where she refused to be treated or examined by doctors.

From the local Fox station:

Against medical advice, the hospital released her, and after charging her, police also signed off on Katurah because they did not want the liability of her having a baby while she was in their custody.

It gets better.

When the woman talked to her probation officer after the Walmart incident, she admitted that not only had the labor pains been faked, but so had the entire “I’m pregnant” thing. She had made it all up to avoid being locked up.

Alas, her lie has only added to her problems. Now she’s facing a charge of obstruction of justice to go with the shoplifting charge.

 

Accused Shoplifter Fakes Labor to Avoid Jail [Fox8.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.