A 23-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly taking beauty products from a store inside a mall in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, on Sunday afternoon, September 27.
The suspect, identified by police as alias Avie of Upper Balulang, Cagayan de Oro City, was stopped by a security guard and a sales associate as she was about to leave the mall. Store personnel had reportedly been monitoring her after customer intelligence flagged her presence.
During the security check, Avie was unable to present a receipt for the items. Police said various beauty products worth a total of P5,499 were recovered from her.
The suspect was subsequently turned over to the Mambaling Police Station for investigation.
During questioning, police said Avie claimed she had no money to pay for the products. She also attributed her actions to personal and family problems and said she had been experiencing depression.
Authorities said they were preparing the appropriate charges against the suspect in connection with the alleged theft.
The incident highlights the role of store security and customer monitoring in preventing suspected shoplifting incidents, while the case will now proceed through the proper legal process.
