Mother Arrested After Juvenile Found With Gun In Shoplifting At Stop & Shop: Meriden PD

MERIDEN, CT — A mother was arrested in connection with a shoplifting at Stop & Shop in which a juvenile was found with a bag that contained stolen items and a loaded gun, according to police.

Police responded around 5:25 p.m. on Jan. 29 to Stop & Shop at 485 Broad St. in Meriden on the report of a theft-in-progress.

Store Loss Prevention provided a description of the suspects to police.

Police said one suspect was detained and identified as a juvenile.

The investigation found that the juvenile had been shopping with a 38-year-old woman, whose whereabouts weren’t immediately known, according to police.

Police said a Glock 43 handgun with a loaded magazine was found in a bag that the juvenile had used to conceal the stolen items. The gun was registered to the 38-year-old woman, according to police.

The woman was found in the store’s parking lot and told police that she was returning from previously leaving two of her children (8 years old) at a different Meriden business unattended by a guardian.

The woman was taken into custody, and police said the three children were released to a family member.

She was charged with three counts of risk of injury to child and one count of sixth-degree larceny. She was released after posting a $10,000 bond.