What started as a routine shoplifting call at a Prince Frederick Weis Markets ended with a Huntingtown woman accused of spitting toward a deputy from the back of a patrol car and threatening law enforcement on the ride to jail, according to Calvert County charging documents.
Deputies say the case is built on store surveillance footage and body-worn camera video. The woman, identified in court paperwork as 41-year-old Sommer Lee West of Huntingtown, was later released on an unsecured $1,500 bond and is due back in court in July.
According to charging documents and store and patrol video, deputies were called just after 9:28 a.m. on May 21 for a reported theft at Weis Markets. Investigators say security footage shows a woman leaving the store with two bags of groceries after passing all points of sale without paying. Deputies later reported finding two Weis bags in a wooded area behind the nearby IHOP.
The alleged haul was valued at $107.65, according to the court filing. West is charged with theft, malicious destruction of property, making a false statement to an officer, and second-degree assault on law enforcement, The BayNet reported.
Retail theft and enforcement in Calvert County
The Weis incident is not the first time a shoplifting call in Prince Frederick has turned into something more serious. In a March case, a man was charged with both theft and assault after what began as a reported shoplifting outside another local store. Deputies in that incident also alleged assault on officers during a confrontation, according to Southern Maryland News Net.
Court date and next steps
Court records show West appeared before a judicial officer on May 21 and was released on a $1,500 unsecured personal bond. A trial is scheduled for July 6, 2026, at the Calvert County District Court in Prince Frederick. The district courthouse is listed at 200 Duke Street in Prince Frederick in statewide court-location materials, with the charge sheet and schedule reported by The BayNet, and the court address listed by the Maryland Judiciary.
What the charges carry
Under Maryland law, intentionally causing physical injury to a law-enforcement officer can elevate second-degree assault to a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine, under Maryland Criminal Law § 3-203. Theft penalties vary depending on the value of the items and any prior record, with lower-dollar shoplifting generally treated as a misdemeanor. The statutory language and penalty breakdown are available in Maryland's code as compiled on legal reference sites like Justia.
For now, court records and the various video recordings will determine how the case plays out when it returns to District Court in July. We will be watching the docket and local reports for any developments.
