Mom Arrested;Two year old taken by state for $5 sandwhich

[tydas]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...y-daughter-2/2011/10/31/gIQAWyw8ZM_story.html

pretty freaky...only needed one reasonable person along the way and this never happens...i mostly blame the Safeway people..what dumbass's

 

[Genx87]

PR nightmare. What kind of idiot wouldnt just let them pay for the sandwiches and instead escalate it this? I feel that store manager will be fired or working at the antartic location soon.

 

[Patranus]

What kind of idiot eats something BEFORE paying for it?
(And what relevance does her being pregnant have on her criminal activity?)

 

[waggy]

What kind of idiot eats something BEFORE paying for it?
(And what relevance does her being pregnant have on her criminal activity?)

Its not even that. She tried to walk out without paying for it! that is why she was arrested.

i do thinks the cops calling dcfs was idiotic. i do not blame safeway at all. you steal you get arrested.

I can also see why safeway wouldn't let them pay for it. if they did then anyone who got caught would be doing it.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

What kind of idiot eats something BEFORE paying for it?
(And what relevance does her being pregnant have on her criminal activity?)

This happens all the time in grocery stores. Someone munches while they walk. Mom/dad open a box/bag of something to quiet down a child. Maybe you also need a cookie to calm down a bit.

This case is quite ridiculous in its scope if these people have no prior history.

 

[wirednuts]

What kind of idiot eats something BEFORE paying for it?

yeah every restaurant ive ever been to i have to pay for everything up front including tip. its always a pain because we keep ordering more food and i have to constantly figure out taxes and tips and stuff... sometimes i wish there was just a place i could go in, eat in good faith, and just pay at once when i leave.

in all seriousness though, what she did was not even a crime. $5 sandwich? let her pay for it and the day is over. jeesus christ!

 

[Jaepheth]

ZERO TOLERANCE

IT'S NOT MY CALL, IT'S POLICY!

People need to be people, not sheep. Stores need to stop firing people for slight breaches of policy and let the policies be guidelines and let their employees use some of their own judgement.

TL;DR: US Retail is run by Nazis.

 

[woolfe9999]

What kind of idiot eats something BEFORE paying for it?
(And what relevance does her being pregnant have on her criminal activity?)

The activity is only criminal if it was intentional. If in fact they forgot to pay for the sandwiches, they aren't guilty of a crime. Stupid? Sure, I guess.

 

[Patranus]

Its not even that. She tried to walk out without paying for it! that is why she was arrested.

i do thinks the cops calling dcfs was idiotic. i do not blame safeway at all. you steal you get arrested.

I can also see why safeway wouldn't let them pay for it. if they did then anyone who got caught would be doing it.

And who is to say that their original intent wasn't to simple eat the food and then try and walk out hoping they wouldn't be noticed?

I mean if you think that all you are going to get is a warning and asked to pay for it, the risk/reward is pretty low for that type of crime.

 

[Patranus]

The activity is only criminal if it was intentional. If in fact they forgot to pay for the sandwiches, they aren't guilty of a crime. Stupid? Sure, I guess.

So if I put a candy bar in my pocket while I am shopping, "forget" to pay for it "unintentionally", and then walk out of the store no crime has been committed?

 

[Perknose]

PR nightmare.

Indeed. Those criminally careless parents will now turn this into a PR circus.

But the reason many stores have adopted a zero tolerance policy towards shoplifting is that stealing is a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR drain that we -- you and I and all the honest and non-brain-dead non-idiots -- pay through the nose for.

If that mother didn't want to be separated for 18 whole hours from her daughter, she should have "remembered" to pay for both sandwiches -- both the one she ate and the one she also didn't pay for.

If this was an honest oversight on her part, the results are brutally unfortunate. But they are not the store's fault. They remain HER fault.

Isn't there a major political party whose mantra is "Personal Responsibility?"

 

[tydas]

Question for the law enforcement types...does Safeway need to file a complaint against said shoplifeters or is it in the cops judgement to arrest?

 

[momeNt]

So if I put a candy bar in my pocket while I am shopping, "forget" to pay for it "unintentionally", and then walk out of the store no crime has been committed?

...

 

[MomentsofSanity]

So if I put a candy bar in my pocket while I am shopping, "forget" to pay for it "unintentionally", and then walk out of the store no crime has been committed?

What if you realize the error, go back in and attempt to pay. Should you be arrested?

 

[tydas]

What if you realize the error, go back in and attempt to pay. Should you be arrested?

now you've committed two crimes, theft and bribery!

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Question for the law enforcement types...does Safeway need to file a complaint against said shoplifeters or is it in the cops judgement to arrest?

They will determine whether to press charges. As stated in the article they are going to review the details, including security camera footage to determine how to proceed. If it appears obvious they tried to obscure their actions in some way then they most likely will file.

 

[woolfe9999]

So if I put a candy bar in my pocket while I am shopping, "forget" to pay for it "unintentionally", and then walk out of the store no crime has been committed?

Yes that is correct, IF you in fact forgot to pay for it. Larceny is a specific intent crime, meaning the prosecution has to prove the intent to steal. The jury can of course listen to the defendant claim to have forgotten and not believe him, and convict. Just because you say "I forgot" doesn't mean your explanation will be accepted as true. Intent is inferred from circumstances.

- wolf

 

[Perknose]

in all seriousness though, what she did was not even a crime. $5 sandwich? let her pay for it and the day is over. jeesus christ!

We have no personal relationship, same as that woman and the store didn't, amirite?

I only ask because . . . HEY, LOOK, IS THAT A BALD EAGLE FLYING OVERHEAD?!?!?!? . . . (me swipes wirednuts $5 sandwich and makes my escape.)

No crime, right? If you catch me, sure, I'll pay you for it then, but otherwise, wheeeeeeee!

For all the rest of you saying, "Lighten up, it's only a $5 sandwich," I say, "Back it up, each and every one of you, by sending me $5 by paypal right now. And I might just be back tomorrow for another $5. Plus, I'll tell all my friends of your apparent generosity."

PETTY THEFT and shoplifting add up, $5 by $5 by x, to a multi-billion dollar tax on the honest. It's no wonder stores have adopted a zero-tolerance policy.

And please, wirednuts, before you think I should be arrested for stealing your $5 sandwich, I'M PREGNANT and have my daughter with me . . . that's why it's OK for me to only pay if I'm caught in the act!

 

[MomentsofSanity]

We have no personal relationship, same as that woman and the store didn't, amirite?

I only ask because . . . HEY, LOOK, IS THAT A BALD EAGLE FLYING OVERHEAD?!?!?!? . . . (me swipes wirednuts $5 sandwich and makes my escape.)

No crime, right? If you catch me, sure, I'll pay you for it then, but otherwise, wheeeeeeee!

For all the rest of you saying, "Lighten up, it's only a $5 sandwich," I say, "Back it up, each and every one of you, by sending me $5 by paypal right now. And I might just be back tomorrow for another $5. Plus, I'll tell all my friends of your apparent generosity."

PETTY THEFT and shoplifting add up, $5 by $5 by x, to a multi-billion dollar tax on the honest. It's no wonder stores have adopted a zero-tolerance policy.

And please, wirednuts, before you think I should be arrested for stealing your $5 sandwich, I'M PREGNANT and have my daughter with me . . . that's why it's OK for me to only pay if I'm caught in the act!

You're missing the point of intent. In your scenario you clearly demonstrated intent to steal.

Twist. What if you sat down with your own sandwich, something occurs, you subsequently eat the wrong one not realizing it was his and not yours. Now have you committed a crime?

 

[waggy]

You're missing the point of intent. In your scenario you clearly demonstrated intent to steal.

Twist. What if you sat down with your own sandwich, something occurs, you subsequently eat the wrong one not realizing it was his and not yours. Now have you committed a crime?

err thats still not the same.

she picked up a sandwich and walked out of the store without paying for it. ok she claims to have forgotten. You know how many people shopelifters claim that?

shopelifting cost the store billions a year. they have to go after them and really can't allow them to pay for it after the fact.


But NONE of that is the real issue. i do have issue with the cops takeing them to jail and calling DCFS. ticket the lady and have her appear in court. That is where the real outrage should be (oh and the lady shopelifting with her child).


*notice i don't mention the fact she eat the sandwich. i don't care if she did. hell i have done it a few times but i always pay for my item.

 

[SammyJr]

Look at all the perfect people in this thread. What happened to being able to make an honest mistake and correct it? And what happened to the punishment fitting the crime? Taking their kid over a $5 sandwich that they would have paid for is excessive. How do I know they would have paid? They bought $50 worth of groceries in the same trip!

I hope they take Safeway to the cleaners.

 

[Perknose]

You're missing the point of intent. In your scenario you clearly demonstrated intent to steal.

If you walk out of a retail establishment with an item that you didn't pay for, you have clearly demonstrated intent to steal in every single US jurisdiction that I know of.

 

[waggy]

Look at all the perfect people in this thread. What happened to being able to make an honest mistake and correct it? And what happened to the punishment fitting the crime? Taking their kid over a $5 sandwich that they would have paid for is excessive.

I hope they take Safeway to the cleaners.

lol what makes you think they have even the slightest case against Safeway? they stole items. safeway called the cops.

ANYTHING after that is on the cops and the thiefs. In no way is safeway to blame for DCFS takeing the kids.

I do think the cops fucked up and went overboard. But safeway did no wrong.

 

[SammyJr]

lol what makes you think they have even the slightest case against Safeway? they stole items. safeway called the cops.

ANYTHING after that is on the cops and the thiefs. In no way is safeway to blame for DCFS takeing the kids.

I do think the cops fucked up and went overboard. But safeway did no wrong.

Safeway knew what would happen. Cops + kid involved = DCFS. Safeway knew these were paying customers and could have simply accepted their apology and more of their money but decided to treat them the same as a punk hiding a candy bar in his coat.

 

[Lithium381]

good. people need to stop being stupid and take personal responbility. they weren't in a restaurant, they were in a market.... ffs use common sense