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And just forget about that job

How do you catch someone who shoplifts after applying for a job? Why, invite him in for an interview, of course.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published September 22, 2006

LARGO - Criminals have been accused of a lot of things.

But in the case of a 17-year-old charged with stealing from a Halloween store Wednesday, being a smart job-seeker isn't one of them.

After submitting an application to the Halloween store at 100 Clearwater-Largo Road, the teen took a stroll down the aisles and stole merchandise, according to authorities. After leaving, salespeople noticed the missing items and called the police.

Largo police officers arrived at the store just after 8 p.m. The store salespeople then phoned the teen on his cell phone and asked him to come in for an interview.

But when he arrived later that night, instead of a question-and-answer session with the manager, he got handcuffs.

And if that wasn't enough:

"He came in with his infant son," said Largo police Sgt. Butch Ward.

After investigating the case, authorities concluded that the 17-year-old, who resisted arrest, had been shoplifting in the same area earlier that day with a female accomplice. The two hit a nearby Publix and a Walgreens for merchandise, according to reports.

At the Walgreens, 800 West Bay Drive, they put items in a stroller, which held their infant son, authorities said. When store salespeople caught the shoplifting pair, they fled with the baby. It was unclear Thursday how much they stole in total, police said.

By using the West Bay Drive address on the job application, police were able to locate the 15-year-old girl they say helped the boy commit the crimes. The girl was placed in custody after a struggle between her and another woman at the residence, police said. The infant was placed with his maternal grandparents by the state Department of Children and Families, authorities said.

Both juveniles face retail theft and resisting arrest charges. The other woman, Kim Bertrand, 39, was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest without violence and was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday.

Nicole Johnson can be reached at 445-4162 or njohnson@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 22, 2006, 00:31:40]