‘Believe it or not’: Shoplifting suspect returns to scene, asks for phone that was dropped

MURRIETA, Calif. — Two women are facing multiple charges after authorities said they went into a business in Murrieta, California, and left without paying for their items. Police said that minutes after the theft, one of them returned to the business to retrieve their phone.

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The Murrieta Police Department said that two women went into a nail supply store last week, got what they were looking for and walked right out of the store without paying.

“Believe it or not, one of the suspects returned just minutes later and told the store employees to return her phone that she had dropped when stealing from the store. The phone also had her California Driver License and credit card inside the phone case,” police said.

Employees at the store refused to give the phone back after the suspect refused to give back the stolen merchandise, police said, according to KTLA.

The woman then assaulted an employee before leaving the store again, the news outlet reported. Police said that because of the assault, the theft charge became a robbery charge.

Police said that the store employee sustained minor injuries.

The suspected thieves left the area in a black car, but police said that they were found minutes later by an officer still sitting inside the car. The car was found outside of their house about a mile away from the store.

The stolen merchandise was found by officers in plain sight inside the car, authorities said.

Police did not identify the store, according to KTLA. The suspects also have not been identified, but police said they are both facing multiple charges.

“For sure woulda been easier to just buy the products with the credit card that was in the phone case,” police said.