Mom Takes Her Three Kids Shoplifting
Police say a Brooklyn mom tried to steal 14 items from Bloomingdales in Short Hills.
A Brooklyn women was arrested, while with her three children, for attempting to steal $1,099 worth of merchandise from Bloomingdales in the Short Hills Mall, Millburn police said.
The Brooklyn resident, Mei S. Yip, was seen by Bloomingdales employees picking up 14 items while walking around the store on Aug. 24.
Yip then entered a fitting room with the merchandise. Upon leaving the fitting room, she was seen with a full Bloomingdales's bag. Employees said she didn't have the bag when she went into the dressing room.
The Bloomingdales employee checked the dressing room Yip was in and could not find any of the merchandise.
Yip and her children were stopped as she tried to leave the store passing multiple registers, the employee said. Police were given a video of Yip's attempted theft in the store.
Police arrested Yip without handcuffing her so she could take care of her children on the way to headquaters. Police did not release any information about the ages or genders of the children.
Yip was charged with shoplifting last week. She was processed and released with a mandatory court date. Her children were allowed to leave with her.
This information was supplied by the Millburn Police Dept. It does not indicate a conviction.
Joanne Smythe
3:23 am on Monday, September 3, 2012
Last Thursday I observed 3 people leaving Macy's on the 2nd floor that looked very suspicious. One woman (black, approx 40 years old) was pulling a rolling suitcase that looked very full and still had price tags hanging. Another woman (black, approx 35 years old) was behind her with a large, very full, zippered beach bag. The women left Macy's at 8:59PM, just as the mall stores close, and met a man (black, approx 35 years old) outside the Macy's doors on the 2nd floor, who was also carrying a suitcase or large bag. The three talked for about two seconds, then began to walk towards Nordstrom, while spacing themselves out about 30 feet apart, one behind the other.
All were well dressed, with the two women wearing dresses. Since they left as the stores closed (apparently by design) there were no mall employees or security guards around to warn.
It's not definite they were shoplifting, but in retrospect, based upon their behavior and actions, the probability is 99%.