Dad accused of shoplifting abandons ‘scared’ son in car to flee, Georgia cops say
An accused thief fled a Georgia mall the day after Christmas, leaving behind what he stole — as well as his crying child in the car, authorities said.
A man tried to steal hundreds of dollars of merchandise from the Macy’s store at the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, according to a Cobb County Magistrate Court arrest warrant obtained by McClatchy News. The shoplifting attempt turned into a foot chase, leaving the man’s child abandoned in his car, police said.
The man was not in custody as of Jan. 10 and officers are searching for him, a Cobb County Police Department spokesperson told McClatchy News.
Stuffing clothes and perfume into a book bag from Macy’s, the suspect crammed the items under his oversized jacket while trying to walk out of the store, according to police. The total value of the stolen goods was $852, the warrant said.
Then, the man fled the store as loss prevention workers and mall security pursued him, police said.
While fleeing from security, the suspect pushed a woman who was trying to stop him, officials said.
Seeing the woman get shoved, another man decided to chase down the suspect and the two got into a fight in the parking lot, police said.
The pair grappled each other onto the ground, and at one point, the suspect bit the man’s forearm hard enough to break skin, according to the warrant. The suspect then dropped the stolen goods and fled, police said.
Meanwhile, the suspect’s 11-year-old son was sitting in the car by himself with the keys, the warrant said. Police officers searched the parking lot for the car and found the boy “visibly shaken,” officials said.
The child told the officers how scared he was multiple times, bursting into tears at some points, according to the warrant.
While the officers were with the child, the man never returned to check on his son, police said.
The man was charged with theft by shoplifting, battery and child cruelty, according to the warrant.
His bond is posted at $6,000, with requirements that restrict him from unsupervised time with his child and from returning to Cumberland Mall, the warrant said.
This story was originally published January 10, 2024 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Dad accused of shoplifting abandons ‘scared’ son in car to flee, Georgia cops say."
