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Three women who allegedly pepper-sprayed and struck a loss-prevention officer at Stanford Shopping Center when he tried to stop them from shoplifting were arrested by Palo Alto police on Tuesday night.
The trio from Sacramento, who attempted to escape in a car carrying three children, including a 7-month-old, were booked into Santa Clara County jail, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
On April 5 at about 7:30 p.m., officers received a report of a robbery involving pepper spray that had just occurred at the shopping center. A Macy’s loss-prevention officer had attempted to stop three women he saw exiting the store with clothing they hadn’t purchased. The officer confronted the women outside the store and requested they return the merchandise, but they refused.
One of the women brandished a can of pepper spray and attempted to spray the officer. The other two women punched his face and head. The trio fled in a nearby car and the loss-prevention officer contacted police. He complained of pain to his head but declined medical attention, police said.
Responding officers located the car leaving the shopping center and detained the occupants on Quarry Road near Pear Lane. Officers located a pepper spray canister and multiple articles of stolen clothing.
One of the women, who is 22 years old, was booked on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy and being a convicted felon in possession of pepper spray. The other two women, who are 21 and 22 years old, were each booked on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy. The children were released to a family member, police said.
Tuesday night’s robbery is the second reported at the shopping center this week. On Monday evening, four teenagers were arrested for allegedly robbing a woman and attempting to take her car, police said. The teens fled the area on foot and were found at the downtown Palo Alto Caltrain station, where they were arrested.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984.
Editor’s note: Palo Alto Online’s policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the district attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. Read our guidelines.
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The really sad thing is that even though they were caught with the stolen goods and the assaulted a person they will most likely not spend time in jail and will get probation. They will continue to commit these crimes and the infant will have them as a role model. If anyone wonders why property crimes and theft is so high in this area it’s because even when they are caught there are no serious consequences.
Enough –
Exactly. The chances of being caught are very low. Of being arrested, lower still. Of being charged, even lower. Of being convicted, very rare. Of going to jail, almost nonexistent.
Welcome to California.
California has decriminalized crime, so now we see a large jump in crime. Who would have expected that? smh