39°
The incident took place around 4:30 p.m. Monday when Destination XL employees reported that two women were shoplifting in the store and when confronted by employees they both left, said Westport Police Lt. Jillian Cabana.
A third suspect had also entered the store and attempted to distract store personnel by asking questions before exiting the store and leaving in a vehicle. Employees were able to provide police dispatchers a description of the suspect's vehicle and the registration plate, Cabana said.
Officers spotted the vehicle and stopped it a short time later. Asia Bailey, 39, of Bridgeport, was driving and was identified as the person who distracted employees and Dana Williams, 31 of Stratford, who had been seen placing items in her bag, was the passenger. The third suspect had left on foot and was not located, Cabana said.
When patted down for weapons, officers located a pair of “snips,” commonly used to remove store tags, in Bailey’s front pocket. Another pair of “snips” was located in a plastic bag in the glove compartment of the vehicle during a search, she said.
Both women initially denied participating in the shoplifting and being with a third person. During the course of an investigation, both Bailey and Williams lied to officers numerous times in an attempt to redirect the investigation of the shoplifting, Cabana said.
Bailey and Williams were both arrested and charged with interfering with an officer, larceny, conspiracy to commit larceny, possession of a shoplifting device.
They were both released after each posting $2,500 bond and are scheduled to appear in Norwalk Court on May 17.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Westport and receive free news updates.
