Women accused of shoplifting

Three women were arrested for retail fraud in connection with two unrelated shoplifting incidents on Thursday, February 15 and Sunday, February 18 in Rochester Hills.

A 20-year-old Pontiac woman was arrested and cited for retail fraud about 4 p.m. on February 15, after a sheriff's deputy responded to the report of shoplifting at Walmart, 2500 S. Adams Road.

Loss prevention staff at the store told the deputy they witnessed the woman put several articles of children's clothing in her handbag and attempt to leave without paying. The woman was detained by store security before exiting the store. She told the deputy she intended to give the clothing to her goddaughter because she wasn't able to purchase much for her last year for Christmas.

The woman was arrested and transported to the Rochester Hills substation where she was fingerprinted, cited for retail fraud and released pending a court date.

Two Rochester Hills women were arrested about 12:05 a.m. the following Monday, February 19, for alleged thefts at Meijer, 3175 S. Rochester Road, the day before. The women, both 24, were at the store together and were stopped by store staff there after loss prevention officers say they unpackaged several toys and DVDs in a women's restroom, concealed them and tried to leave without paying.

A sheriff's deputy who responded to the incident said the women said they were walking around when they decide to take some items that one of their daughter's might like. One of the women also told the deputy she was in the midst of a separation with her daughter's father. The other woman admitted that the theft was "stupid" and that she had "no excuse" for the incident.

The women were arrested and transported to the sheriff's substation in Rochester Hills where they were fingerprinted, cited for retail fraud and released pending a court date.