Using an ice cream truck as a getaway vehicle turned out not to be such a cool idea for an alleged underwear shoplifter.
The suspect, Lessa Iannone, 34, allegedly stole two pairs of underwear from a Dollar General store in Rock Hill, N.C., and stuffed the items in her purse.
She then exited the store without paying for them on Thursday afternoon and drove off in a white ice cream van, according to authorities.
A local cop, however, quickly made the connection between the suspect and the truck, the Charlotte Observer reports:
“An officer was familiar with a woman matching the suspect’s description who operated an ice cream truck. Police went to the woman’s home… and told her she was caught on surveillance video stealing from Dollar General.”
When cops arrived at the suspect’s residence, MSN quipped, “Bet she gave them a frosty reception.”
An ice cream truck would probably not be the getaway vehicle of choice for more stealthy wrongdoers perhaps.
The woman was taken into custody on a shoplifting charge with a $2,000 bond. Even though the incident took place at a “dollar” store, the items she allegedly shoplifted were valued at about $13 . The same suspect reportedly was charged with shoplifting in March.
Dollar General, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, is said to be America’s largest discount retailer with 11,000 stores in 40 states. It plans to expand into three more states by next year.
In a wholly separate incident that occurred at another popular dollar store chain outlet, an alleged shoplifter ordered her 7-year-old daughter to beat up a store employee who was calling 911 according to police. The mom reportedly also tried to run over the clerk with her car. The incident occurred in January at a Family Dollar store in Florida.
In another unusual shoplifting incident, a brave Kroger supermarket manager who disarmed a knife-wielding shoplifting suspect in April wound up fired for his trouble because he violated company policy that prohibits physical confrontations with customers.
[top image via Shutterstock ]