A Philadelphia woman who police allege had just committed a theft ended up being caught after crashing the car she was driving to get away, according to court papers.
Advertisements
Last Thursday around 12:41 p.m., Falls Township police officers were dispatched to the Dick’s Sporting Goods store on Commerce Boulevard for a report of a retail theft in progress. A female suspect reportedly parked in the fire lane outside the store, entered the business, and stole merchandise.
Officers talked with store employees who spotted the retail theft incident and relayed what happened, police said.
The store manager reported he took a photo of the suspect’s vehicle before they fled, police said.
Advertisements
Store staff accused the suspect of taking several North Face jackets and other items, police said.
A store employee reported the woman yelled for workers “not to call the cops” as she left Dick’s Sporting Goods with the ill-gotten items, police said.
Advertisements
Investigators said they viewed surveillance video of the incident.
As officers were at the Falls Township big box retailer investigating, they received a radio call Middletown Township police spotted the woman and her vehicle traveling onto southbound Route 1. The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, police said.
At the Route 1 exit onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bensalem Township, the vehicle slammed into a concrete barrier at the toll area, police said.
Advertisements
Bensalem Township police held the suspect – identified as Karimah L Choice, 43, of Philadelphia – until Falls Township officers arrived, police said.
Investigators used the VIN number of the vehicle to link it to the Falls Township retail theft, police said.
Advertisements
Officers spotted several North Face jackets in the rear of the crashed vehicle, police said.
A Dick’s Sporting Goods employee identified Choice as the thief from the store, police said.
Advertisements
A search of the vehicle led to officers finding items stolen from Dick’s Sporting Goods, including a Yeti brand cooler, five Nike hoodies, and four North Face jackets. The total value of the items was $1,589.92, police said.
Choice was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property. She was preliminarily arraigned by on-call District Judge Terry Hughes and held on 10 percent of $35,000 bail. She ended up posting bail a few days later.
Advertisements
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
