Harumph!
But I have slowly and grudgingly come to realize that this gal must have been in dire straits to resort to theft, especially after I received a call from the police officer that assisted me on that day. He told me that she was arrested and he had taken time to talk things over with her.
She will have to be booked with a felony offense based on the amount of money and credit cards that were in my purse. He told me that she had a drug addiction and was desperate for another fix when she saw me and my purse in the store; and that she now was dealing with withdrawal symptoms. But he also told me that she had agreed to participate in a drug rehabilitation program and even though will have to serve some jail time, will also be able to get the help that she needs.
She asked the officer to send her apologies to me and wanted me to know that the only reason she chose to try to steal from me was that I was standing near the door.
I hope she can turn this really poor choice into something -- anything -- positive. Although a felony on her record is nothing to be happy about, perhaps the opportunity to change her life and leave drugs behind is.
I wish her the best.
4 comments:
I'm glad that you found out more about the story. Often these days, you don't hear anything more about what the outcome of a police investigation is, and it leaves you with an odd, unfinished feeling.
Sorry that you went through it at all, but glad that you've got some info that will help you gain closure around it.
Drugs are at the root of so much of our crime at every level. Makes you wonder what the current trend of legalization will do, make things better or worse? Time will tell. Meantime, I hope this young woman can turn her life around, although the statistics in these cases are grim. It could be that getting caught by you in that "Mom's vise grip" and being apprehended by an obviously great police officer was the best thing that could happen to her.
I'm sure you would have been happier to know that she wanted your money to feed her child and not an addiction, but I sincerely hope for her that she will turn a page a try to get the help she needs.
It's nice for the investigators to give you some feedback on your case, so you can also move on and sleep at night.
Unfortunatly most people who are stealing to get their next fix are addicted to meth,crack, etc. not marijuana.
Just experience and learning ftom my son who was addicted and stealing. It's a hard habit to kick but can be done. My son is now sober and is a successful chef.
I wish her the best too.
Post a Comment