This is Melissa Rosenthal, 51. And we're about to meet her very soon. On Monday, May 5th, 2025, at around 2:25 p.m. Vernon Hills police were called to the Target on East Townline Road after a retail theft had just happened. Loss prevention [music] said a woman filled a cart with household items, hung around near the front for a bit, and then walked straight out the west doors without paying nearly $500 worth of merchandise. She then left in an Acura with Illinois plates. >> [music] >> An officer spotted it heading east on Townline. So, what happens when they finally get her pulled over? Take a look. >> Hi there. >> Hi. >> Hi, I'm Officer Snow with Vernon Hills Police Department. Were you just at Target? >> Um I was. >> You were? Okay. Did you pay for everything you had? >> Why are you asking me that? >> Just step out of the car for a moment, ma'am, okay? Do you have your ID on you? >> I do. >> Go on and step to the back over here. >> Okay, what what did you get at Target? >> A rug. >> The rug? What else? >> A sweatshirt, I think. >> Okay. So, Target's reporting that some of those items weren't paid for and that they're taken, okay? That's the reason for our stop. >> Okay. >> Um have you been caught by them before? No? Have you ever been arrested? No? >> Am I being arrested? >> Well, right now we're just we're just going to figure a few things out, make sure it wasn't a mistake, right? So, there's a few things we have to do. Um but right now you are detained and you're not free to leave, okay? >> Okay. >> Um once we get to that point, we'll I'll let you know. I'll be honest with you. Um but that's that's what they're reporting to us, okay? >> Okay. >> Um so, we're just going to hang out for a few minutes. >> Okay. >> Is that Did you Did you have a receipt for that? >> Um I don't know if I took a receipt. >> Okay, what was your name again, ma'am? >> Melissa. >> Melissa? >> Rosenthal. >> So, we're I'm just going to read you this really quick, okay? Uh do you understand that you have these constitutional rights? Okay. So, here's the thing. If you have never been arrested before, and you don't have any criminal history. This is not going to end in you going to jail and sitting in jail overnight or anything for $100 worth of groceries, right? It's pretty low level, right? But, it looks to me like something did happen here today, okay? I see all the exact items they described, and they're in your car right now. It's pretty obvious what happened here, in my opinion. But, like I said, talking on the big scale of things, it's pretty small, especially if you don't have any past history. So, is that Is that true? Are we going to find any past history from you? Nothing. You've never been arrested before. Never. Anywhere Any other states? Have you always lived in Illinois? What? Have you always lived in Illinois? Um I was born in Texas. Okay. Nothing ever happened in Texas. Okay. I have two kids, and I'm just So, what happened today? How How come this happened? No, there's no other reason. >> Do you mind facing towards the Harbor Freight over there real quick? >> Step away from the car, like right here. >> Yep. >> I'm harmless. I'm >> No, you're good. >> Never done anything. >> They're hard times, >> I don't want to go to jail. I don't want to get arrested. >> No, and >> Um >> Like Like my partner said, in the grand scheme of things, it's it's pretty pretty low level, yeah. >> Hard times. I've got two kids, and one's in college, and I don't make a lot of money, and I just needed a rug. My dog peed all over my rug this morning, and my house smells, and I >> So, can you do me a favor? >> Mhm. >> So, I'd like to go in your car, and I would like to retrieve the items that were unpaid for. Can we do that together? >> I I don't think that's I mean, I don't know. >> Cuz if not, >> right or >> Well, at this point, frankly, it's it's not, because you are going to be under arrest. Now, I don't want you to freak out. That doesn't mean you're going to go to jail and stay in jail for an endless amount of time. You're not going to go to jail at all, almost certainly. But, temporarily, you are arrested. You have committed the crime of retail theft today, and it's something we have to deal with. And what's likely going to happen is we're going to have to arrest you. We're going to take you back to Target. We're going to go over some information with Target, and then you're going to be given paperwork. You're going to be given a citation court date, and you're going to be released. So, I'm giving you the whole idea of what's going to happen today so that I don't want to put you into a panic, but because you're under arrest, we are going to go into your car whether you help us and you assist us with going through these items or not, we're going to do it one way or the other because you are going to be placed under arrest here. So, I'm asking for your assistance when we go through and can you show me the things? Talk us through what happened here. >> The rug. >> Okay. So, there's a rug. >> Some Tupperware and the baskets. >> Tupperware and the baskets and then how about the paper towels? And then the paper So, we have the toilet paper here. The baskets, you said? >> Mhm. And maybe this. >> Okay. How about these little Are these like Was anything paid for today, ma'am? Let me see. That other stuff that >> That was something >> Stuff you had already? And the water heater and >> No, that was something else. >> Okay. Cuz it's pretty unusual for someone to do this amount of stealing on their very first try. >> I just I felt like I just I don't know what I was thinking. I went to get coffee and then I changed my mind and then I walked out the door like I was crazy woman. >> What property do you have in the car? You got your wallet, your keys, anything? Are those things in there? How about we grab those things cuz I think what we're going to do at least for the time being is we're going to probably leave your car parked here. And then we're going to have to head back to Target. So, yeah, if you want to roll with me and grab those. Good. >> We'll go around and get that right. The lock's right there and all like that. >> even have pocket for >> Up there. >> Oh my god. >> We'll go We'll go around the side. It's It's right inside and into the left. >> Uh we'll come around. We'll come around the back. >> Okay. >> See you when you get here. All right, he's in route with the bird and the perp. Cool. There's Yeah, we're going to go look and see if there's some more, too. She's being cooperative. It doesn't look like she's trying to >> You know, like diminish. >> Yeah, and then cuz it sounds like they recovered more than what >> And she left when you called us? >> A little before. River exit. >> Did anybody try to stop her? >> No. >> I'm the only one who can stop it and I came late to the party. So, I came back to review. >> Who was there when she exited? One of yours? >> We Yeah, Sam left. >> He saw it. >> I saw her, but I didn't approach it. >> Right. So, you were out on the floor and then when she exited. >> Yeah, it was on camera. That was on the floor. >> But, you did both. Okay. >> She left She left at 2:19 a.m. >> And did she exit with um everything just in the cart? No, did she bring bags or anything? >> put it all uh in the cart. She went to Starbucks waiting for customers to clear from the front and walk out. Cuz she was the out of four rows. I have her going into rows and out of rows. >> We have her coming in and out of rows. Sorry. I'll I'll love those. >> Hi. >> Hi. You can have a seat for a bit. Sam, you want to take over this? Sorry. >> Um everything she took everything that she said she took. >> Okay. >> It didn't appear that there was any other Target merchandise. Um so, we believe that the >> We believe that everything in there would be what we think she has. >> Right. And then what you guys confirmed she's taken from today's Target. >> Have you ever done this at any other Target around here? Any other Target at all? >> We're going to figure out the dollar amount and we'll go from there. >> Okay. >> I'm going to go ahead and do a search of your person. Can you just stand up for me and face the wall? >> My what? >> Search of you. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah, usually we use females to search others. We have no reason to believe she put anything on her person. She never entered a fitting room. >> But whenever I have one, it's definitely noticeable because they don't feel comfortable on me. >> I'm not sure if we're going to stay here or we're going to be taking you back to the station. So, we're just going to leave the handcuffs on otherwise I would have taken them off. If this is going to be uh >> I was going to ask why didn't you pay use just I'm just asking. >> get coffee and then I just had a crazy I told them my dog peed on my on my car mats. >> And you you haven't done this anywhere else? No other Target at all? >> All right. So, these gentlemen uh Officer Beach has specifically right here issued you rights to be read a Miranda on the street. You understand them? Okay. And so, you just told the gentleman at Target uh loss prevention officer that you you were at Starbucks with a car full of merchandise and you didn't really elaborate why you left the store without paying for the merchandise. >> I I don't know what to say. Yeah, those are I wasn't thinking. I don't know what to tell you. >> Why did you Why did you not pay for the stuff? So, you intentionally left with this merchandise because you couldn't afford it or you just didn't want to spend the money on this? >> Hard times right now. >> Okay. >> Just needed that rug. That's all. >> Isn't it Can you just tell me what the front looks like? >> I don't know what I was thinking. >> Okay. Um and then the >> So, what did you go to Starbucks for? >> white thing I That's ours. >> And then what happened? So, you wanted to get out of there? Were you just trying to see if there was anybody who was going to come stop you and talk to you? >> Well, that's what we're trying to understand. >> I don't know. >> What are you going to tell the judge? You think the judge is going to be like, "I don't know. That's That's fine."? I think it's going to be worse for you if you can't justify your actions. >> I just don't have the money. >> Okay. Makes sense to a lot of people, I think. We asked you if you've done this anywhere else and you said no. Has there been other times where you felt you don't have the money or you can't afford something so you just took it? Or is today just the only day? >> I have other things in the car. >> Do you have a receipt for those things? >> I bought them somewhere else. >> Okay. So, what may happen is that if we take those items because we're investigating a retail theft of merchandise could have came from Target if we can't verify it here on scene. >> Well, I don't think it's stuff that >> Target The Target should be able to confirm what is if it's their merchandise. >> If we take possession of something that belongs to you, then you would just have to provide a receipt. Then you would just have to provide a receipt to get it back. Okay? So you wouldn't get those items back until you can show proof >> that you bought them in that >> You can get through the store or through your Did you put it in here? The receipt for those items that you're saying you bought at the store? >> Um I think they're in the bags or something. >> In the bags? Okay. Well, what store bags are they? >> I was at Woodman's. >> So you have Woodman's >> Well, they're a store. >> So yellow bags are Woodman's or what? >> Um >> She's saying Woodman's in like reusable grocery bags? And then what about the alcohol? Where did you buy that from? Oh, okay. So it came from Which Woodman's did you go to? Why wouldn't you just get everything at Woodman's? >> We don't have roads. So Well, that was my plan was to get roads >> Well, I mean Melissa, to be honest with you, I was I told you when we were talking in the car that I was giving you my trust you would be honest with me and and you proved that you haven't been. So at this point, I don't really believe what you're telling me. I know you took those items and I'm just asking you to at this point >> a black one. a small Yes. >> It's before >> Different than that one, huh? >> No, it's like a it's a reusable >> Okay. >> It's not a purse >> Well, I'm just wondering what what's back there she's a has a receipt for any of that merchandise cuz I wouldn't mind taking possession and calling Woodman's to verify. She doesn't seem to be very forthcoming with information. So if we believe there's other stolen proceeds in that car, I will take possession of them and >> If you I can go back over there. >> There's a lot of this [clears throat] here. >> Yeah, I'll put I'll put all of her stuff in my car. >> Yeah, let's do that. Is this a trespass for me? >> Yeah, I'm just going to explain this to you. You're a trespass from all Target in Lake County for a year from today. >> All right, Melissa, we're going to head this way. We're going out to the police car. >> I'll come back in a minute. >> All right, go and get in your seat. >> Okay. >> At the end of it all, Melissa Rosenthal, 51, of Deerfield, was taken into custody and charged with retail theft. The Target merchandise totaled $489.65, [music] and every item was recovered and returned. Because the total was over $300, officers contacted the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, which approved a Class 3 felony charge and release. She was given a May 20th court date and released at around 5:00 p.m. But, that wasn't quite the end of it. Target also banned her from every Target in Lake County for 1 year. And remember those groceries in the back of the Audi that she said came from somewhere else? Those were turned over to Buffalo Grove Police, where a detective responded to charge her with another retail theft. Her Audi was then towed from the scene.