The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to help identify a woman accused of shoplifting from two King Soopers stores in Highlands Ranch and Castle Pines three times since May, walking away each time without paying for hundreds of dollars in merchandise. Deputies describe her only as a white female with a thin build and blonde hair, and her age remains unknown. The case is logged under number 2026-00900446.
According to photos and details posted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, the woman first entered the Highlands Ranch King Soopers in May, selected more than $250 worth of items, and moved them into a second shopping cart before leaving without paying. Days later, investigators say she turned up at the Castle Pines King Soopers, this time selecting $300 to $500 in merchandise and walking out without paying for it. She returned to that same Castle Pines store in June and took more than $80 in additional items, the sheriff’s office says. The department titled its public appeal “She’s Not Shopping, She’s Stealing. Help Us Identify Her.”
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers Offers Cash for Tips
Anyone with information is directed to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867), the tip line the sheriff’s office listed for the case. The organization covers the five-county Denver metro area and offers cash rewards of up to $2,000 when an anonymous tip leads to an arrest, according to 9News. Tipsters are assigned a unique code number so they can track a reward without ever revealing their identity, per the same report.
Douglas County Cracks Down on Unreported Retail Theft
The appeal for tips lands amid a broader county effort to combat shoplifting. In February, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners unanimously adopted an ordinance requiring commercial businesses in unincorporated parts of the county to report suspected retail theft to law enforcement within 96 hours or face fines of up to $1,000, according to Douglas County. County leaders said the rule was designed to stop corporate policies of looking the other way on shoplifting.
Colorado law could also work in investigators’ favor once the woman is identified. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-4-401(4)(a), prosecutors are permitted to combine the dollar value of multiple thefts committed by the same suspect within a six-month window into a single charge, according to Justia Law. Under the same statute, merchandise valued between $300 and $999 is treated as a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by up to 120 days in jail, while $1,000 to $1,999 becomes a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 364 days, per Right Law Group.
A Newly Formed District With a Reputation for Long Sentences
The 23rd Judicial District, which prosecutes Douglas County cases, has taken a hard line on retail theft. DA George Brauchler said in December that his office had increased local theft conviction rates by 30% and would continue pushing for strict punishment of shoplifters, according to CBS Colorado…