Crime & Safety

Police: As Parents Shoplifted, Kids Wandered into Parking Lot Traffic [Updated, Aug. 6, 12:22 p.m.]

Farmington police arrested New Britain residents Carlos Luis and Kimberly Ann Lopez at Sports Authority on Aug. 3, 2013.

A New Britain couple is facing multiple charges after they left their children unsupervised while they shoplifted, police said.

Farmington police arrested Kimberly Ann Lopez, 43, and Carlos Luis Lopez, 57, at Sports Authority in Farmington at 1600 Southeast Road on Aug. 3 at 7:09 p.m.

While they were shoplifting at Sports Authority and The Children's Place, their 3-year-old and 5-year-old kids "wandered into traffic in the parking lot," police said in a press arrest log. 

A bystander called the police after seeing the children unattended. The 5-year-old was pushing the 3-year-old through the busy shopping complex parking lot, Farmington police Lt. Colin Ryan wrote in an email to Patch. The caller "also witnessed the father remove the stolen shoes from the front of his pants, which prompted the larceny portion of the investigation," Ryan said.

Neither of the children were injured and they were unsupervised for at least 10 minutes, he said.

Both Kimberly Ann and Carlos Luis Lopez are facing charges of sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. They were released after posting their bonds, a $2,000 surety bond and a $15,000 one, respectively. 

The couple is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 13. 


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