York shoplifting suspect to store employee: ‘I’m not going to jail today’

A woman shoplifting from a York store apparently had a change of heart when confronted by a store employee, according to the York Police Department.

Officers on New Year’s Eve responded to Walmart on East Liberty Street, where a shoplifting suspect had just fled, according to a police report. A store employee told officers she saw the suspect take a piece of camouflage clothing off a hanger in the hunting section, roll it up and put it in her purse.

The woman walked to checkout, where she paid for some beer but not the item in her purse, police said. As she walked out of the store, the employee told the suspect she was with loss prevention and asked her to come back inside.

The woman initially complied and went back inside, where she told the employee, “I’m not going to jail today,” the report states. She then took several other clothing items and a child’s cup from her purse, handed them to the loss prevention employee and fled out the front door.

Officers obtained surveillance footage of the incident; however, they were unable to locate the suspect, police said. All of the merchandise, which totaled about $60, was returned to the store.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 7:16 AM with the headline "York shoplifting suspect to store employee: ‘I’m not going to jail today’."