RICHMOND – The state Court of Appeals has upheld the 2022 petit larceny conviction of a Waynesboro woman after she reportedly stole a tablet from an Augusta County convenience store.
In its ruling announced Tuesday, the appellate court rejected the defendant’s claim that she thought the device had been lost or left behind when she first saw it back in March 2022 at a Sheetz store in Fishersville. The tablet, which was lying on a table in the store, belonged to Sheetz and was being used by an employee when it was taken.
The defendant claimed she saw the tablet on the table near the soda fountain and watched it for a few minutes to see if it was claimed. When she saw no one go near it, court records indicated the defendant covered up the tablet with some napkins and carried it out of the store with her after making her purchases.
Employees discovered the tablet missing later that day. Surveillance video captured the defendant covering up and taking the tablet to her car.
At trial, the defendant represented herself and told the court she was “just thinking ‘finders keepers,’” according to the trial record. She testified she did not turn the tablet over to store employees because she thought one of them would just claim it for themselves.