Shrewsbury, MO has experienced a recent increase in theft incidents, according to the police crime report covering last Monday through Sunday. One case involved a 42-year-old woman from Jennings. The police report states she "loaded her shopping cart with $243 of detergent, towels, soap, and other household items at Dollar Tree, paid for one item in the self-check aisle, and left the store with the cart full of stolen items." When store employees attempted to stop her without success, she was observed transferring the items into a black Chevy Impala, which was last seen traveling west on Watson Road. Surveillance footage led to her positive identification, and the case has been referred to the Shrewsbury Municipal Prosecutor for further action.
A different kind of theft was reported by a St. Louis woman on the same day, her credit card left behind at a Taco Bell subsequently being used for unauthorized shopping sprees. Shrewsbury police are actively searching for the culprit, who, according to their official report, is attempting to "Live Mas on someone else’s dinero."
A 30-year-old woman from Jennings was arrested for shoplifting at Walmart last Wednesday. As per the report, she placed multiple items in her cart, paid for only one, and attempted to leave the store with the rest. She told authorities that alcohol consumption and fatigue led to confusion during the incident. Her explanation will be considered during legal proceedings.
The series of thefts continued last Friday with the detention of a 38-year-old St. Louis woman. She was caught attempting to leave a store with over $125 worth of merchandise hidden in a large bag. The incident escalated when officers discovered a glass pipe and a white powdery substance, which she identified as fentanyl. In addition to shoplifting charges, she now faces felony drug charges and is being held on existing warrants.
The reported incidents were among a larger number of calls responded to by Shrewsbury officers over the week. In total, they handled 19 auto accidents, 6 reports of suspicious activity, 5 disturbance calls, 1 missing person case, 1 sudden death report, and 13 theft-related incidents. Officers also assisted with 21 fire department calls and carried out 18 traffic stops. Additional information is available on the City of Shrewsbury website.
