The woman from whom it was taken was in legal possession of it at the time it was taken from her. There is a presumption that she will pay for it and the law has a preference for orderly commerce.
And yet shoplifting law generally states that if the customer purposely hides an unpaid-for item from view (though common sense would suggest this probably doesn’t mean burying it under other merchandise in a cart) this constitutes shoplifting. So the person is not free to do whatever he or she wants with it, yet.
“The woman from whom it was taken was in legal possession of it at the time it was taken from her. There is a presumption that she will pay for it and the law has a preference for orderly commerce.”
Horse puckey... There is no such presumptions in criminal law. Ownership of property isn’t governed that way. Perhaps civil law could handle it.