Woman accused of shoplifting $2,800 in makeup, perfume
JONESBORO, AR Nov 17 2017
A judge found probable cause Wednesday to charge a woman with felony shoplifting after police say she stuffed nearly $2,800 worth of cosmetics into a bag and her purse.
Officer Adam Hampton arrested Corsica M. Jeffries on Thursday, Nov. 9, at J.C. Penney’s, 3000 E. Highland.
According to his initial incident report, store employees and the head of mall security stated they saw the 27-year-old Memphis woman walking around the store, “concealing merchandise in bags.”
Hampton spoke with Jeffries, saying she had been observed concealing large amounts of makeup and other merchandise in her bag.
He alleged Jeffries then handed him a pink bag “completely full of different types of makeup and perfumes.”
Hampton handed the bag over to the mall security chief who then gave it to a Sephora employee to calculate the total items taken.
When the officer asked Jeffries for her name, she initially said it was “Sharda Thomas” and gave a birthdate of 5-5-1989, the report said.
Hampton ran the information through dispatch but did not get a return.
Jeffries then told the officer it could be under her married name: Sharka Thomas.
Again, he did not get a return.
Hampton finally asked if she had any identification in her purse.
“She briefly opened it and then said she didn’t have it, but she did not even look,” Hampton reported.
At that time he took her into custody and handcuffed her. Hampton then opened the purse to see if he could find a wallet.
“But, it was completely full of makeup and other items from Sephora,” the officer stated.
He then handed the purse to the store clerk who was in the process of adding up the value of the items in the bag then he took Jeffries outside.
Hampton said a few minutes later the employee came out with a “long receipt of stuff that was taken and it totaled $2,792.79.”
Jeffries continued to provide him with false names and birthdates, the officer said. When asked for her Social Security number, Jeffries claimed she could not remember it.
Finally, on the way to the Craighead County Detention Center, Jeffries told Hampton she remembered her driver’s license number. When he ran the number through dispatch it returned with a positive identification.
After they arrived at CCDC, Jeffries finally told the officer Sharda was her sister’s name.
She was booked into the jail on suspicion of shoplifting $5,000 or less but greater than $1,000.
The following day Craighead County District Judge David Boling gave Jeffries a $2,500 temporary bond which she made.
She was also told to appear in district court on Monday, Nov. 13, at noon.
But, according to Detective Brian Arnold’s account, Jeffries failed to meet him to sign the probable cause paperwork.
Boling called her name in court, but Jeffries did not present. The judge then told Arnold to write up an affidavit for a bench warrant.
On Tuesday, Boling issued a warrant for Jeffries’ arrest. The judge later contacted the detective to say that Jeffries had arrived at court. She was then taken into custody and returned to the CCDC.
Jeffries appeared before Craighead County District Judge Tommy Fowler on the bench warrant Wednesday. The judge found probable cause existed at the time of her arrest to charge her with the felony shoplifting charge, as well as obstructing governmental operations.
Fowler set Jeffries bond at $10,000 cash/surety and told her to appear in circuit court on Dec. 27.
KAIT
