Elderly Colorado woman visits a bakery, then turns into the ‘oatmeal cream pie bandit who thanks the camera and flees

An elderly woman in Loveland, Colorado, is facing charges after surveillance footage captured her turning an honor-system farm stand into her own personal pantry. The woman, who has been dubbed the “Oatmeal Cream Pie Bandit” by the bakery owner, was captured on video clearing out entire batches of baked goods before calmly thanking the camera and walking away. The best part is, as the viral TikTok and Reddit posts showed us, she came back.

The incidents took place at Gone Astray Goods, a micro-bakery located on Boxelder Drive. The owner, Stephanie Courville, discovered the thefts after reviewing CCTV footage from her stand, which she restocks every Friday. The situation is particularly frustrating because the stand relies on the trust of the community to function, making the loss of product a direct hit to the small business. 

According to The Daily Dot, the viral nature of the video eventually led to the suspect being charged by local police. Courville initially kept the footage private to gather more information, but the suspect returned a few weeks later to strike again. 

So, thieves really do return to the scene of the crime

During the second encounter, the woman wasn’t particularly sneaky or smart. Courville confronted the woman while she was in the process of filling her bag. The woman claimed she needed to retrieve her phone from a vehicle parked down the street to pay for the items, but she never returned to the stand.

Courville followed the woman and managed to film the encounter, even capturing the vehicle’s license plate after the suspect was forced to turn around. It turns out the woman was driving a high-end vehicle, which left many online observers baffled. MsVeeRose, on TikTok noted, “That’s a Land Rover Defender she was getting into.”

One user on Reddit noted, “She could’ve bought the whole stand out and it wouldn’t affect her monthly budget.” Another commenter who identified as a New York bakery owner suggested the theft might have been driven by an intent to resell the artisan goods rather than personal need.

The community reaction on social media has been swift and supportive of the baker. Many TikTok users expressed their frustration over the situation. Sher commented, “This is so wrong! So glad you caught her and will be contacting the police.” 

Other users weighed in on the absurdity of the theft, with JackieJohnsonBowden writing, “What’s wrong with people!? So sad.” Another user named jnug said, “So sorry for you I can’t believe this happened.”

Courville is now seeking full restitution for the items stolen during both incidents, which include goods taken from a neighboring vendor who shares the stand. By sharing the images publicly, she hopes to alert other local businesses that might have been targeted by the same individual. 

Personally, I am rather curious to know why she was loading up her bag with every baked good in the cupboard. Considering that all that food is out in the open, I would have figured that Courville would have gotten thieves of a cuter variety, and not crotchety old ladies.