An incident at a local Walgreens escalated from shoplifting to robbery last Saturday night, according to a report by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Officers from District 3 were called to the scene at the store on 1530 Lafayette at around 6:30 p.m. in response to a "Hold Up" alert. The confrontation began when a woman in her 30s, accompanied by three children, set off the store’s security sensors and was subsequently approached by a 31-year-old female security guard.

The security guard reported having observed what appeared to be stolen items in the woman's purse, which led to an argument between the two. The situation quickly escalated when a 55-year-old male Walgreens' employee attempted to intervene, only to be punched in the face by the suspect. It was then that the suspect decided to forcefully defend her retreat by using a can of mace, which she sprayed in the faces of both the security guard and the Walgreens' employee. Following the assault, the woman and her children were seen leaving the area in a gray SUV.

No arrests have been made as of yet, and the investigation is currently ongoing. Both employees were treated for exposure to mace, a chemical spray often used in self-defense, which cripples the victim's ability to see and often causes considerable facial discomfort. The employment status or names of the individuals involved has not been released by Walgreens or the police department.

Community members are urged to come forward with any information they might have that could assist law enforcement officers with their ongoing investigation. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is actively seeking the woman who, in the attempt to abscond with stolen goods, resorted to violence and fled the scene.