Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft False Larceny Accusations - URGENT

[diburt01]

I was in a clothing store I've been in many times. I had three items with me, draped over the top of my purse as I continued to shop. I put my purse and the items on the ground next to a mirror to try a jacket on. The store owner came up to me, grabbed the items and dug through my purse. She told me "You steal from here every fucking time you come in here. I never want to see you in here again." As the store was full of people staring at me, I rushed out without saying a word. She then yelled out the door "The cops will be at your house." The store owner is a friend of my boyfriend's family. So an hour or two later, she has her husband call my boyfriend at work, asking for my name and number. He said he just wanted to resolve everything and keep the police out of it. My boyfriend told them he would not hand out my name, but assured him he would relay the message and asked for his number. Just to end it, I called the man back. However, his idea of "ending it without getting police involved" was telling me to count up the amount of things in my closet that I've stolen, and bring them the money in return. I told him I had no items in my possession, as I have not stolen anything. He kept me on the phone, calling me a liar and questioning my integrity for a great deal of time. By the end of the phone call, I realized he was not going to simply drop the matter, so I, merely to make amends and end it, offered to pay for the items I had with me at the store for the price of $200. As I did not leave the property with the items, this was extremely generous for me to have offered. After consulting his wife, he told me "She says you've probably taken $900 worth of things. If you don't pay us this amount, we're going to file a police report and have a cop at your house." I told them I don't have that kind of money for items I didn't take, and there's no way they could estimate a number for the items I "probably" took. After about 5 phone calls to me and my boyfriend at work, their conclusion was: I need to bring them $500 in cash or charges will be filed against me, because they "know where I live." They are estimating an amount for merchandise I did not take based on the fact that "There were empty hangers in the store when you left," "My friend said they've seen you take things in," "You were caught red-handed," and "I know there was a white dress you were interested in once." It's just a bunch of false accusations and unnecessarily phone calls of harrassment to me and my boyfriend. Please let me know how I can handle this without handing these people a huge amount of money for nothing without making this into a huge deal. I cannot have court, a police report, or anything else of this nature on my record. Thank you in advance for a quick response.

 

[seniorjudge]

...As I did not leave the property with the items, this was extremely generous for me to have offered.....

It is not necessary for you to have left the property with the items for it to be considered larceny.

 

[calalily]

If they don't have proof, then let them call the cops. However, a word of caution, in one state they have a law that states "intent" not actual theft as the standard so they would have to prove intent. As they did not call the cops immediately that may be in your favor and you could get a lawyer and file some sort of harassment complaint. It sounds like extortion to me on their part but you probably can't prove it. What is not so good for you is that you offered money at all and looks like you're guilty of something as who would offer money for something they didn't do? You could call the cops yourself and explain the situation and how they are harassing you and you did not steal from them and can you do anything about it like file a harassment complaint against them because they are demanding a lot money...but that's risky too.

 

[CdwJava]

They don't appear to have a case. They can report it to the police, but without some kind of proof or a confession, they have nothing.

I'd say the store owner is blowing smoke.

- Carl

 

[seniorjudge]

They don't appear to have a case. They can report it to the police, but without some kind of proof or a confession, they have nothing.

I'd say the store owner is blowing smoke.

- Carl

I think the poster was hiding stuff in the store.

Read between the lines.

 

[CdwJava]

I think the poster was hiding stuff in the store.

Read between the lines.

I didn't say I believed the poster was innocent, only that the store owner likely has no case. I see a very weak case here ...

Owner: "She was hiding stuff in the store and had stolen stuff in the past!"

Poster: "No, I wasn't."

Result: No charges.

Then, of course, there is the possibilty that the DA might see this as civil since the owner and the defendant apparently entered into a subsequent contractual arrangement. When the defendant failed to live up to hher end of the contract (payment), the store owner threatened to call the cops. Most DA's don't like to be debt collectors.

I don't see this going anywhere.

- Carl