Mom accused of shoplifting — sets off alarm with surprise item for child

You’re not alone if you’ve ever walked out of a store, only to have something you purchased previously set off the alarms.

Even though you know you’re innocent, you’re left feeling like a criminal, scrambling to find the culprit, or a receipt to prove it.

One Aussie mom has experienced just this. And, though, she was able to find the item that did it, the store’s first impression was something she’d never imagined.

“My soul left my body”

Aussie mom Jessica Mendes has taken to TikTok following a confronting situation in a Big W store.

She said that she took her toddler into the store with a book from home, rather than giving her her iPhone for entertainment.

But, as she was exiting, she was accused of stealing it in front of 50 people.

“Lesson learnt – don’t take your own books anywhere,” she wrote in the video’s caption.

While she said it ended up being a jumper from Target with a tag still on it that set off the alarm, Jessica said that Big W staff first accused her of stealing the book, because it was ‘so shiny and new’.

“Turns out that one of my Target purchases buried deep in the pram [stroller] still had the tag on and it set off the alarm…” she shared.

“When I say my soul left my body after being stopped and asked to come back, empty the pram [stroller] and show 4 different receipts in front of so many shocked onlookers, believe me.”

Following the embarrassing encounter, she said she’s been left confused about whether she should just go back to using her phone, or if there’s another alternative.

“I mean… I’d probably be the one looking thinking ‘Wow, did that mum get busted stealing!? Juicy’ but damn,”

“Would be better off copping the dirty looks for having her glued to Paw Patrol on my phone!”

“I no longer go to Big W alone”

Moms in the comments were quick to confirm that Jessica wasn’t alone, with many saying they’ve also felt discriminated against with strollers – and others even sharing stories just like hers.

“There have been times that I’ve literally been asked to move my baby out of the pram [stroller] to check that I didn’t hide things under her. It’s ridiculous,” said one person.

“I’m a brown person with a newborn and I no longer go to Big W alone. I take hubby with so he pushes a trolley while we shop,” said another.

“Went to the grocery store and opened a bag of chips for my kids because they were getting fuzzy and hungry. Got to the cashier started unloading the cart halfway through she tried to accuse me of stealing the bag of chips in my kids hands,” a third shared.

There could be a way around it

But, they were also just as passionate about not letting Jessica fall back onto technology, providing other ideas on how she could prove the books were hers in the future.

“We have a go bag that we take with everything labelled with her name! Because her books are her books we’ve written little notes to her in the covers for her to read as she gets older. It’s a great way for them to see it’s your own,” one person suggested.

“Maybe designate a pram [stroller] book where you tape the receipt to the back of it? Same with an activity/interactive book when your little one is older,” another said.

“Maybe put a sticker on them with your name/ random name or something that makes the book look like it’s yours,” another commenter said.