Cheyanne E. Dwiggins’ sweet tooth got the better of her on Wednesday and her method of shoplifting became creative, according to police.
Dwiggins, 18, was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly trying to swipe several pieces of candy, a few kitchen utensils and a well-hidden 15-ounce box of strawberry Nestle’s Nesquik from Bauer’s Market, 815 Main St.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m., store owner Scott Law watched Dwiggins for about 30 minutes and knew she had pocketed several items, according to court papers.
Dwiggins walked up to the cash register to pay for a 59-cent Sather candy necklace, but only had 40 cents. After spending so long in the store, and not having enough money to buy a piece of candy, Law said the red flags went up.
Law confronted her as she was about to walk out the door, and detained her until Lapel police could arrive. Dwiggins allegedly tried making a run for it, but Law grabbed her coat from behind. She began cursing at Law and the two briefly struggled until police arrived, about a minute later.
When Lapel Police Chief Dennis Molina pulled up, Dwiggins’ pants were down and her rear was exposed — weighted down by the number of items she was taking — as she tried backing out of the store’s door, according to court documents.
“As I pulled in, a young, white male approached my vehicle and pointed to the front door where a bare, white butt was attempting to back out of the door,” Molina’s case report reads.
Police ultimately found a potato peeler, ice cream scoop, a set of measuring spoons, a pair of cake decorating gel tubes and six Rollo candy bars on Dwiggins.
Once at the Madison County Jail, Deputy Lee Ann Ellingwood was given the task of removing the Nesquik, which Dwiggins had placed in her crotch, according to court documents.
Dwiggins, 912 Main St., Lapel, faces a single count of theft, a Class D felony, and made her initial appearance before Madison County Magistrate Stephen Clase. Clase entered an automatic not-guilty plea on her behalf and approved the appointment of public defender. Bond was set at $5,000.
Law said Thursday that Dwiggins is the 10th person he’s caught shoplifting, or trying to shoplift, from the Lapel store this year.
“It’s been really frustrating,” said Law, who’s owned the Lapel store for about four years and has managed the Frankton Bauer’s for nearly a decade. “It’s very irritating. Yesterday’s incident was just the icing on the cake.”
Along with shoplifting on the rise, the number of bad checks his store receives has also been increasing. During 2006, he said, the store’s gotten about $2,250 in bad checks.
“In order to recoup that loss, I have to sell $10,000 in merchandise,” Law said. “If people are destitute ... we’ll make sure they don’t go hungry. But to steal, either through shoplifting or writing bad checks, that’s just immoral and I pursue those people.”
Store butcher Daniel Howells, who was also in the store for Dwiggins arrest, agreed, hoping publicity will decrease shoplifting at the store.
“Hopefully, this helps deter people from trying to steal from us,” he said. “Don’t steal candy you don’t need.”
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