According to Daniel Prendergast and Natasha Velez of the New York Post, a 29 year old man was arrested after allegedly attempting to steal a pair of socks from Rite Aid located on Fifth Street and First Avenue in Manhattan. Allegedly he placed a pair of socks under his jacket and attempted to leave the store. Upon realizing a clerk had seen him; he proceeded to run through the store knocking over displays until he was tackled by a store clerk.
The man told the police he was tackled for no reason and that he was "just trying to walk out of here and pay for my stuff." He was arrested and charged with petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief. In New York, Petit Larceny refers to stealing property and is a Class A Misdemeanor. This is no minimum value involved in Petit Larceny and therefore stealing something as little as a pair of socks can lead to a person's arrest and prosecution.
In addition to his arrest and charges, a photograph of the store clerk tackling the man appeared in the New York Post. Now upon search of his name on the internet, not only does the story appear, but a photograph of him being tackled appears. This could have future repercussions if prospective employers do an Internet search and lead to further embarrassment.
Although the item allegedly taken was simply a pair of socks, he is still charged with a number of offenses that could remain permanently on his criminal record. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it is imperative to hire an experienced shoplifting attorney to protect your record and to guide you through the criminal justice system.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/shoplift_takedown_AWFFV5GA9BwhG2hG1ErNnJ