On December 19, 2025, officers conducted preventative patrol for shoplifting crimes at Marshalls in Maple Grove, Hennepin County. Officers ran the license plate of a vehicle in the parking lot that registered to a female who had past theft charges, including out of Maple Grove in 2023. The female was identified as Patricia St. Clair [DOB REDACTED], Defendant herein. Officers entered the Marshalls store and observed the Defendant walking around the store with items in a cart. An officer in the store heard what sounded like the cutting of a security device on an item and observed the Defendant put something in her pocket.
Officers believed this to be a tool to defeat the security sensor on the item. The Defendant then pushed the cart with the items out of the front doors without paying for them and went to her vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and located the shoplifted merchandise. During a search of the Defendant officers found the suspected burglary tool, a clipper. In a post-Miranda interview, the Defendant admitted to using the tool to remove the security devices. Officers confirmed with store loss prevention that the Defendant did not pay for the items and the items were valued at $1,286.42. The Defendant is currently in custody.
