On November 18th, 2025, officers responded to an AutoZone in Texas after employees reported a woman carrying unpaid merchandise to her vehicle. What began as a routine shoplifting call would escalate significantly not because of the original incident, but because of the decisions made during the encounter itself. Is there any property in the vehicle? I don't know. I don't know if she stole anything. It didn't beep on the way out, but Okay, well I kind of assumed I know. I know. I'll look at the vehicle. >> right now inside the store. Okay, so you all keep eyes on the female. She's inside the business. She came out once, went to the vehicle, and then returned with an empty The vehicle when was here with you guys. It's right here. Yeah. I have it. Put it in the front of the truck. Yeah. He's been parked over there for a while. Okay. Okay. I'm from Picacho, so I get a little I got you, I was leaving. You didn't ever see her take anything, right? She went out and then came back in. She brought some stuff to the counter with Nick Lindahl standing. And then left. Uh and I I put that over here on the end, and then she bounces back in. Okay. Thank you. That was the plan to come here and shoplift in there? >> No, no, I didn't know I was coming here to get some stuff. Okay, not you. You're not involved. No, no, I I I I have my own money. You can check my account if you want. Like I I I I I don't I want to go home to my kids, you know? I'm tracking. I promise. >> Yes, they As long as you're being honest with me, I can work with you, and I'm not saying you've done anything wrong, okay? But I need to at least say on camera Yeah. Okay, that I've at least identified you. I'm not running your information. I don't care. >> Yeah. Okay. I know I'm going to help you out. I'm coming. So, I don't know she's something she's shoplifting. Did she put anything in the vehicle as of right now? >> Um I'm Yes, she put a thing of oil and I can give it to you. Yeah, please. Can you please make sure she doesn't see you? Yeah. She I have another officer standing by over there. Where she at? She's in the store. Oh, she went Back through the store. I want one. You got a spring in it? It's cool. Can I see it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can go by me. I'm not putting you in handcuffs or nothing. Oh, no, no, I know. I didn't do anything, so I'm Is there anybody What is that? It's a phone. Cool. Talk to me. You know that you got that oil from that truck that you walked back to you. Okay. Okay. So The oil the truck? Yeah. That's the one that she told me that she didn't want to get. So, I'm confused. So, I'm getting the correct one? Did you buy this? I did a foreign exchange it. Did I not? >> For the 5W20 I should. I want to check my account. No, no, wait. I'm grabbing my thing to give you the receipt. What the heck? No, this is like huh? You got to tell us where you What I'm trying to do is I'm trying to get the correct thing. So, here's the thing, right? They said that you were in here Okay, and I told you I have to go outside to ask the Listen to Officer Hernandez. Let him finish talking. That you were in here in the store before. You didn't pay for anything, and then you walked out and you had a bag with you. Yeah, which isn't my bag. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. And then you came back inside. Now this is where we're right here with you, and that oil is in your truck, right? And you did not pay for it. Okay, then if I do pay for that one, then that one Oh my god. Okay, cuz then that was an accidental because it was supposed to be the 20W50, and I'm like just like that cuz I thought it was 5W20 when I kept I know, I realized that, and it's because I was trying to hurry because I'm in a hurry because I thought the store closed at 9:00. So, I like panicked when I like went, and that's why I put everything down, and it wasn't my Do you want to pursue charges? It was not intentional at all. Do you have ID on you, ma'am? I don't. I don't. But like this was absolutely like accidental. Okay, are you Marqueisha? Excuse No. Slow down. No, my name is not Marqueisha. >> catch your breath, okay? Give this officer your name. What is your name? What? What is your name? My name is Kayla. Okay. Just for the time being, I'm going to can you just put your purse up here, please? I don't want to I I feel very uncomfortable doing this. Like no, I came in to it I really don't appreciate I No, this is very No. >> No, this is very It's Layla, it's not Kayla. This is very like >> It's Layla, your name. No, it's Layla. It's Layla. Yes, this is very like overwhelming to me because I'm just We're doing an investigation, okay? So You just need to relax, catch your breath. >> Okay, I'm sorry because like obviously I don't feel well with like around police, and like I don't like Okay, we haven't done anything to cause that, okay? Like well, I mean you guys haven't personally, but We're just doing our job, okay? And I'm worried about my truck cuz I have to go pick up my I have to go pick up my friend before he gets off work right now at 10:00, and like I was trying Layla, catch your breath, okay? Okay. You're rambling on. I know because I'm trying to >> Hang out. Let us do our thing, okay? We'll see what we can do about getting you out of here, okay? Is there more property of yours? Just slow down. I don't want to turn out for you, right? Oh, no, no. I don't want to go to jail. Okay. I'm going to get it. I'm not mad at you. Just slow down. We can trespass you, too. If you like. Yeah. What? Why would I get I don't want to get a trespass. I feel like right up the street. Layla's going to be I know, but what I'm explaining is I'm so sorry. I'm really really sorry. >> me what happened. Okay, so what happened was I was supposed to come in here, and the issue was was that I needed to get the court of motor oil or whatever for the truck. Okay. And I kept saying like in I wrote it I wrote it down, and I wrote it down as 5W20. Okay. Because you know it's always 10W20 or like 5W20, whatever. But um when I was over here, I was like hold on, I need to go see if that is the correct one cuz I don't want to spend all this money to have it not be the right oil. And then when I got to the car, I asked my friend, she's like no, see, it's not 5W20, it's 20W50. Okay. And I was like 20W50, I'd never heard of 20W50 before. >> Okay. And then I was like wait, what? And then so we sat there, and she Googled it for me, and then she showed it to me, and she's like yeah, it's a it comes in a black thing. It's it'll be the only one that's in there. And I was just like Okay. And then I looked, and I was Okay. What the freak? I didn't know 20W50 like existed. Okay. >> didn't realize that I had taken the 5W20 out there with me. That was totally accidental. Like I had left everything else here on the counter cuz I'm still I want to check out with all the rest of the stuff, but this me taking this one bottle out there was purely accidental. Like it really was cuz I was trying to look for my notebook where I wrote down what I needed. So, like when I set everything down, I For some I just accidentally put it right there. Like it was not like intentional or intentional that I like took this item like at all. The subject claimed the removal was accidental. She had grabbed the wrong motor oil grade and stepped outside to verify with her companion. Under Texas Penal Code Section 31.03, theft requires intent to deprive. Her explanation, if credible, negates that element entirely. However, when officers could not verify her identity, the encounter shifted. She had provided a false name. Under Texas Penal Code Section 38.02, giving false identification during a dot dot dot dot lawful detention is itself a criminal offense separate from any shoplifting charge. So, you came back inside here and you're going to buy 10W40? was going to buy No, the five the See, the 20W the 20W50. You needed a quart, and then now you're buying a four quart? And then you Well, no, I want to I'm trying to ask him like how much it's going to come out to in total with that. Like with the I don't need it right now. >> Yes. So, when we run your information, it's actually out of Texas. So, can you write >> you mean it's not coming out of Texas? >> So, can you run Do you know your driver's license number? Out of Texas? Um No? No, but I can call my mom and ask her cuz I'm pretty sure she has like the paper one. >> Can you write down your name for us how it is on your ID, please, to this officer on her notebook? Oh my gosh. Layla. Yes. Just so we're both on the same page, okay? And so we can for our documentation. Um This is your purse, right? Can I make sure there's no other merchandise in there? Yeah, okay. Honestly, I was going to open it up. Get get Can I do No, I'm just asking if I can do this. Okay, okay, please don't do that. Like grab anything, please, like I just need you to be okay. Just let me know because for our safety, I don't want you grabbing anything from us, and that's why I took it away from you. Okay, and this is just all your stuff? >> Yeah. Okay. I'm glad you have Narcan. Everybody needs Narcan, huh? Does your friend use or what? Yeah, that's like totally irrelevant. >> I'm just asking. No, it's just it's just a question. >> irrelevant. I don't want to It's not about her. Yeah, I got you. Okay. Well, I'm just saying, I'm glad that you have it cuz not many people carry it, and it's life-saving, right? Okay. Is this one yours, too? Huh? Is this one yours, too, as well, in your purse? No, that one's hers. That's Yeah, that one's hers, and that's the one that had all the information written down of what I needed. Is this her purse? Yeah, that little the Yeah, that thing, that one's hers. This one? Yes. So, I can ask her that real quick? Huh? I can ask her that? Cuz right now she's she's at the front of my car. She's detained with me. Why is she detained? That's not your problem. My problem is is this yours or is this hers? Will she say Who's When we ask her, is she going to say it's yours or she going to say it's hers? Or is it nobody's? It's nobody's. >> It's nobody's. It's abandoned property? Yes. It's abandoned property. >> want to I don't want to get any but I allowed you to search my purse. I allowed you to look through my property. Look, I'm asking, okay? >> Is it yours or is it hers? Or is it just nobody's or was it here before we got Was it here before you got here? That's what I'm trying to ask. >> It's not no. You don't know whose it is? Okay. You don't know whose it is? Is it So it's abandoned property? Where was it when we got here? Cuz if she tells us that she doesn't know whose it is Where were you when this happened? Is it abandoned property? Is that what you're saying? Let me go verify with the female half. Layla, did you walk in with it or not? >> It's your purse. It's yours? Yes, that's Can I make sure there's no merchandise in there? I don't want you to look through that one because that one's like my personal one. I really don't want Okay, hey Sarge, she's claiming it's hers. She doesn't want us to look through it. Okay. I'm so sorry but like yeah I'm just trying to make sure that we have no Like I don't Oh, wait wait, why am I getting like arrested now? Okay, why? You're being detained at this time because you are going to be charged with shoplifting and then also trespassing. And you're not coming back on Friday. Am I going to jail? Were you lying about your name, Layla? No, I'm not. Am I going to jail? Well, until we figure out who you are, how long have you been living here for? I've only been living here a few years. I went to college here for a little while. Your ID is not in here. No, sir, it's not. Cuz if you're lying who you are, you're going to go to jail tonight, right? If you're lying who you are, you're going to go to jail no matter what. If you tell us who you are and stop lying you probably won't even go to jail. If you have a petty petty warrant, I don't care I don't care about petty warrants, all right? So be honest with us, please. Okay. You're not. I can tell when you're lying. I've been doing this for a bit now and I know when people are lying, all right? >> There's not anything on with your name in here. So I'm just going to ask you one more time, what's your name and what's your date of birth? This is the last chance you get. You want to go to jail? This is how simple it is. You want to tell me who you are or are you playing games cuz I'm done? Okay, I'm going to search you. My name is Kristy. I have people here. We're in the middle of a business, okay? And this is ridiculous. Start acting your age and take responsibility for your actions. Yes, I am. Okay? Yes. >> Tell them who you are. Okay, can we do this outside? Yeah, it's just Yeah, in the middle of a business and I'm worried. Thank you. Yes. Yes. We'll do this outside. Any more games, you're gone. So what's your name? Michaela. Michaela? Yes. And why'd you lie? Sit down. Sit. Because I'm scared because I don't want to be like Do you have warrants? No. So why would you lie if you have no warrants? What's the point? We're going to find out who you really are. I know because I don't want to get like This was something I don't I did not shoplift. I'm telling you like I did not. I swear I did not. >> Michaela, what's her password? How do you spell Michaela? If you don't want to get charged, that's literally a joke. Giving your fake name is not going to do anything. Yeah, I know I know I know. I'm sorry. One more time. If not, then you're I promise you're going to jail, okay? Okay. So give it to her. Spell it to her. Michaela. All right, Michaela. So you are going to be arrested for shoplifting. Um you're going to be also trespassing here, okay? We did have a warrant for you so you're going to be put on that warrant for the public safety. All right. I'm going to need to search Do you have anything on you that we should be aware about? Any drugs, narcotics? No No weapons? Any weapons? Okay, so Do you want to go ahead Yeah, you can. We're not going to find anything else on your person, okay? Okay. Yeah. Careful. Yeah. You're good. You're good. Go ahead. Yeah, it's fine. You're fine. Sergeant Baker warned her directly. Continued deception meant jail regardless of the shoplifting outcome. She eventually gave her real name, Michaela, admitting she lied because she did not want to get caught. That admission undermined her credibility on every charge she faced. A consent search then revealed a controlled substance. Michaela was booked on four charges: shoplifting, criminal trespass, possession of a controlled substance, and an active probation violation warrant. A bottle of motor oil became the starting point for all of it. Officers Hernandez and Baker receive a B. The detention was legally grounded and proportionate. Michaela receives a C+. Her accidental removal defense had real legal merit, but her false identification dismantled it. The companion receives an A- for full cooperation throughout and was correctly released without charge. The lessons from this encounter are straightforward. First, if you have a legitimate explanation, give it clearly and early. The intent standard in Texas theft law exists precisely for situations like this. Second, lying about your identity during a lawful detention is not a neutral act. It is a separate crime and it extends the encounter in ways that create new legal exposure. Third, cooperation does not mean waving your rights. The companion demonstrated that staying calm, answering honestly, and not escalating is almost always the outcome that serves you best. Michaela's night did not have to end the way it did. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic you would like us to discuss in the comments below. Thank you for watching and don't forget to check out our KT second channel, Audit the Court, for even more police interaction and courtroom content.