Overloaded pants end shoplifter's escape

Overloaded pants end shoplifter's escape

Posted on Fri, Dec. 08, 2006
Associated Press

LAPEL, Ind. - A teenager arrested for shoplifting had filled her pockets with so many items that her weighted-down pants dropped to her ankles as she tried to run out of the store, police said.

Cheyanne E. Dwiggins, 18, is accused of trying to steal several pieces of candy, kitchen utensils and a 15-ounce box of strawberry Nestle's Nesquik from Bauer's Market in Lapel, about 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

Dwiggins, who was arraigned Thursday on one count of theft, was being held Friday at the Madison County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Store employees became suspicious on Wednesday when Dwiggins, who had been in the store about 30 minutes, walked to the cash register to pay for a 59-cent candy necklace, but only had 40 cents.

Store owner Scott Law had watched Dwiggins and knew she had pocketed several items, so he confronted her as she tried to leave the store, according to court papers.

Dwiggins tried to run from the store, but he grabbed her coat from behind and held onto her until police arrived.

When Lapel Police Chief Dennis Molina pulled up, he saw Dwiggins' bare behind as she tried to escape from Law and back out of the door, her weighted-down pants at her ankles, court records say.

Police found a potato peeler, ice cream scoop, a set of measuring spoons, two cake decorating gel tubes and six Rollo candy bars on Dwiggins. At the Madison County Jail, a deputy removed a can of Nesquik that Dwiggins had placed in her crotch, according to court documents.

Law, who's owned the store for four years and has dealt with numerous other shoplifters, called the arrest "very irritating."

"Yesterday's incident was just the icing on the cake," he said.