Woman Causes Riot w/Free Shopping Hoax

[3113]

I'm not sure what this says about anything but...WTF?

A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.

Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person's merchandise up to $500, he said. "Well, of course, people like to hear that," Deakins said. "Apparently they were in line calling relatives who were not at the store and told them to come."

People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill, Deakins said. At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1,000 were outside trying to get in, he said. "She was telling people she won $1.5 million," Deakins said. "But it ends up she didn't win anything. She had no money to pay for anything."

About an hour later, Brown had the limousine driver take her to a bank to withdraw money, but she returned empty-handed, police Detective Steven Nace said. By then, store employees had called in two dozen police officers to handle the crowds....By the time employees realized Brown didn't have any cash to pay, police said, she already had taken off in the limo.

That's when angry customers, realizing they weren't getting free coats, began throwing merchandise on the floor and grabbing clothes without paying for them, Nace said. "Everybody was like, 'I still want my free stuff,' and that started the riot," he said. "It looks like (Hurricane) Katrina went through the store."

Police said they have no way of tracking down the customers who stole items and fled, but they're reviewing surveillance video.

When the limousine driver realized he wasn't going to be paid the $900 Brown owed him for the day's rental, he turned her in to police, Deakins said.

Full story here.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I have to wonder about that limo driver. I would think they would get a credit card obligation right up front.

As for the rest, that's just a lot of yahoos who think they're entitled to something for nothing. And the store being a bit greedy too.

 

[gliflumu]

I’m not sure about how possible some of the things you mention would be, but there is one setting that may interest you, if you haven’t seen it already

 

[Handley_Page]

Pity it wasn't on Candid Camera

 

[kromen]

I bet more than half of the people in this story is still waiting on the African Prince with the trillion dollar bank draft.

 

[3113]

I bet more than half of the people in this story is still waiting on the African Prince with the trillion dollar bank draft.

Yeah, damn it, what taking him so long?

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

What really got me about this story was the Store Employees allowed her to leave and go to the bank

Then she actually came back empty handed.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

I have to wonder about that limo driver. I would think they would get a credit card obligation right up front.

That's how it's always been when my wife and I rent a limo.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Sounds to me like she may have a political future in America: Promise to give away free money, but have no way to pay for it.....