Woman Smuggled Drugs Into South Bay Jail After Shoe Theft Arrest: Sheriff

LOMITA, CA — A woman is facing drug charges after trying to smuggle meth and xanax into jail, sheriff's deputies said.

The woman and a co-conspirator were arrested on July 13, after authorities caught them stealing from the Warehouse Shoe Store in Lomita, according to the Lomita Sheriff's Station.

Deputies say the two suspects selected several boxes of shoes and placed them on a bench near an exit and asked an employee at the warehouse for a different shoe size.

When the employee went to check for a different size, the two suspects ran out of the store where deputies were already waiting for them, according to authorities. Both women were taken into custody on suspicion of theft.

But while booking one of the suspects, deputies discovered she was hiding methamphetamine and xanax in her shoes, according to the Lomita Sheriff's Station.

The woman, a three-time convicted felon, according to deputies, was booked on suspicion of felony theft with priors, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, organized retail theft and outstanding warrants.

"This is a prime example of how businesses working hand-in-hand with law enforcement can stop serious criminals in their tracks," The Lomita Sheriff's Station said in a statement on social media Monday. "What started as a $200 shoe theft turned into the capture of a wanted repeat felon with a long history of crime."

Her co-conspirator was taken into custody on suspicion of organized retail theft and a warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Lomita Sheriff's Station.

Detectives are now investigating whether the two suspects are connected to other thefts at the Warehouse Shoe Store.

The Lomita Sheriff's Station asks that anyone with information contact deputies at 310-539-1661.