Inset: Lisa Debenedictis (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Florida Target where Debenedictis allegedly used her 9-year-old daughter in a shoplifting incident (Google Maps).
A Florida mother is accused of bringing her 9-year-old daughter into a Target and involving the child in a shoplifting scheme that included Lysol wipes, earrings and candy tucked into a pink backpack, while the woman allegedly slipped Coca-Cola, self-tanner and other items through self-checkout without paying.
Lisa Debenedictis, 48, faces charges of petit theft and contributing to the delinquency of a child in connection with the alleged incident, court records show.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, deputies were called to a Target in Flagler County after asset protection employees reported that a woman and child “were concealing merchandise and had just exited the store.”
Authorities said they spoke with Debenedictis and her daughter outside the store, then reviewed surveillance video that allegedly showed both taking merchandise inside. Investigators said the child used a pink backpack to conceal $25.97 worth of items, while Debenedictis allegedly failed to pay for $47.27 worth of merchandise at self-checkout.
“While Lisa was inside the bathroom, [the child] obtained merchandise and placed it into a pink backpack,” the affidavit states. “Lisa returned … and grabbed a package of Lysol wipes from the shopping cart and placed the item into [the child’s] backpack with her knowledge.”
The affidavit says Debenedictis and the child continued through the store, picking up additional “merchandise and produce” before heading to a self-checkout lane. Investigators allege that “Lisa purposely did not scan numerous items and placed them into a grocery bag.”
Police further alleged that Debenedictis also “purposely failed to scan merchandise that was left inside the grocery cart and did not attempt to scan the items.”
The items allegedly stolen by the child included “14K Gold Plated Earrings” valued at $19.99, “Gumi Yum” candy valued at $2.99, and “Lysol Spray” valued at $2.99. Debenedictis allegedly stole organic sugar, Coca-Cola, bagels, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, feminine wipes, an EcoTools blending brush, “Bodi Sands Self Tanning Drops,” acrylic paint, “colorful stickers” and “card packs.”
“It was determined that Lisa encouraged and assisted [her daughter] to conceal unpaid merchandise with the intent on depriving Target,” the affidavit concludes. “Furthermore, Lisa participated in the theft by purposely not scanning numerous items and accompanying [her daughter] of Target without rendering payment, passing all points of sale. [Her daughter’s] actions constituted a shoplifting — petit theft, which Lisa caused and contributed to [her daughter’s] delinquency.”
Debenedictis is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 1.
The post Mom took little girl to Target and forced her to steal Lysol, earrings and candy inside pink backpack while the mother swiped self-tanner, Coca-Cola and other items: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
