[Atlas Sneezed]

“pick up some sandwiches and eat them while we were shopping,”

Nope, very bad idea. You have no idea how much loss occurs this way.

---

I believe it. And it’s pretty easy to leave the packaging/wrapper in the cart so you and the clerk won’t miss it.

I’d like to know what the woman did with the sandwich wrappers?

[yldstrk]

Bull. The stores have the food and the cups with pop there so you will buy it and eat it while you shop.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I used to find empty wrappers and bottles all over the store on a daily basis. Many of the shoplifters you catch just "forgot" they had the goods. It adds up fast.

It doesn't matter what their intent was, it was an extremely stupid thing to do and stupid actions often have unpleasant consequences.

[CharlesWayneCT]

That wasn’t the store’s fault. They just reported a petty theft. They have no control over government over-reaction. I can’t believe the store owner expected the people would be jailed for it. And once they were jailed, their child would be taken by CPS.

CPS is the problem; along with the police. There was no reason to jail either parent, much less both parents. Book them on petty theft, and send them home. Or at worst, keep one and send the other home.

But I don’t fault the store owner. I’m sure EVERY person who leaves without paying have a great story about how they were going to pay, and forgot, or some other good excuse. And 99% of the time, those stories are just that — fairy tales.