My mother-in-law would take
my wife & her brother, when
they were little kids, 10 & 12 yrs old,
into various Department stores,
load-up carts &
casually stroll-out.
It was a micro-crime spree.
They got away w/ it a
dozen or so times.
Each time getting more appliances,
electronics, & bathroom
supplies.
Then, one day, while my future
mother-in-law wandered
across a store’s parking-lot,
kids in tow & a homeless man
full-cart, an undercover cop
approached her & asked
to see the receipt
for the merchandise.
She looked earnestly through
her pockets & purse
for a fake receipt.
After about 20 minutes of this,
mentally-exhausted & losing
confidence, she admitted to
stealing the stuff.
There wasn’t a local, TV news report
about it, only a brief appearance
before the local judge, court costs, &
a sentence of
200 community-service hrs.
My wife told me recently
about it, “Mom took me &
Larry with her to pick-up this
old woman & we would drive
her around on her errands.
We took her to the Doctors’ appointments,
grocery-shopping & to bingo games.
Eventually mom got wise &
started to give this old lady
5 or 10 bucks to shave off
several community-service hours.
Soon after that, the old bag
wanted 20 or 30 bucks for a few
hours. She needed it for the lotto,
she said.
Mom eventually paid it.”