A Guelph woman faces numerous drug charges stemming from what began as a shoplifting investigation.
Guelph Police report that on Nov. 11 at 4:28pm, a loss prevention officer of a store located near the intersection of Eramosa Road and Stevenson Street North observed an adult woman allegedly shoplifting $906.24 worth of merchandise. The merchandise included multiple cases of beer, chocolate, fruit platters, crackers and cupcakes. She placed all of the items in a shopping cart and exited the store without paying. The LPO confronted her outside the store and she fled the area in a motor vehicle after leaving the stolen merchandise behind.
On Wednesday at 8:27 a.m., the woman allegedly shoplifted $614.91 worth of merchandise from the same store. The stolen merchandise included chicken breasts, forest hams, tablet accessories, biscuits and steaks.
At 8:52 a.m., the manager of a store located near the same intersection observed the woman shoplifting $340.70 worth of merchandise.The merchandise included multiple boxes of crackers, cookies and milk. She placed all of the items in a shopping cart and exited the store without paying. The manager confronted her outside the store and she fled the area in a motor vehicle after leaving the stolen merchandise behind.
At 10:31 a.m., members of the Guelph Police Service High Enforcement Action Team found the woman sitting in a motor vehicle in a residential parking lot located near the intersection of Silvercreek Parkway North and Westwood Road. She was subsequently arrested.
A search revealed the $614.91 worth of stolen merchandise from earlier that morning, and $316.31 worth of stolen merchandise from a store located near the intersection of Woodlawn Road West and Woolwich Street.
The search also revealed two bottles containing a small amount of cocaine, a plastic bag containing a small amount of crack cocaine and a plastic bag containing a small amount of cannabis.
The 33-year-old Guelph woman has been charged with:
- Four counts of theft under $5,000
- Two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking
- Possession of illicit cannabis
- Seven counts of breach of probation
- Two counts of fail to comply with undertaking
She was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
