September 23, 2011 Shoplifter called in bomb hoax to Wal-Mart stores www.privateofficer.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Sept 23 2011 — Police reported that a bomb threat had been called in to the New Albany Walmart last week. Police investigated and nothing was found. Today, we’ve learned that a local woman is now facing charges related to the incident.
It started last Tuesday at the Walmart located on Grant Line Road just east of Sam Peden Community Park in New Albany.
Police say that shortly before noon, a female called the store and made a statement that was construed as a bomb threat. New Albany Police evacuated the store and a Louisville Metro Police K-9 was brought in to do a sweep.
The dog found nothing.
The next day, a second Walmart — this one in Corydon, Ind. — was evacuated after a similar bomb threat was made.
But this time, according to Wayne Kessinger, a spokesman for the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were able to apprehend a suspect.
Kessinger says that Jessica Brown, was being watched by store security even before the bomb threat was made. Employees of the store suspected her of shoplifting. Moments later, Kessinger says the bomb threat was received by phone, and the store was evacuated.
Brown allegedly tried to sneak out of the cart corral.
When store security met her outside, she allegedly jumped in her car and tried to drive away, but police officers who had arrived as a result of the bomb threat quickly boxed her in.
After officers questioned her, they discovered roughly $800 of store merchandise — including DVDs — on her.
Initially, she denied being involved in the bomb threats — both the threat in Corydon and the threat in New Albany. But Kessinger said security officials at the Corydon Walmart had surveillance video of Brown on the phone moments before the threat was called in.
On a lark, police called the Walmart in New Albany and asked if they had surveillance video of a woman matching Brown’s description in their store as well. Kessinger says the store quickly informed them that, not only was a woman matching Brown’s description also in the store, but she was also on the phone at the same time that bomb threat was made.
Kessinger said that, when confronted with this evidence, Brown quickly admitted to making the bomb threats in order to facilitate her escape from security.
She’s been charged with theft and falsely reporting an incident in Harrison County. Charges in Floyd County are still pending.
In an unrelated case, she’s also facing 13 counts of forgery related to forged checks authorities allegedly discovered. The checks total roughly $9,000.
Source:WDRB
Tags: Shoplifter called in bomb hoax to Wal-Mart stores, Jessica Brown
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