Florida Mom Allegedly Takes Her Daughter Into Target With a Backpack. Then She Sends Her in to Steal Earrings, Self-Tanner, and Candy

A video shared by Instagram account @thefloridamangames highlights a Target trip in Flagler County, Florida, that allegedly led to a theft investigation after deputies reviewed surveillance footage showing a mother and child leaving the store with unpaid merchandise.

According to investigators, 48-year-old Lisa DeBenedictis brought her 9-year-old daughter into a Target store, and by the time the pair left, 27 items had allegedly passed the register unpaid for. Target Asset Protection reported the pair for allegedly concealing merchandise and leaving the store, prompting deputies to make contact outside.

Per the affidavit, the child was seen collecting items into a pink backpack while DeBenedicts was in the store’s restroom. When DeBenedicts returned, she reportedly added a package of Lysol wipes to the same bag before the pair kept shopping. The two eventually went through a self-checkout lane, where surveillance is said to show DeBenedicts skipping scans on several items and leaving others sitting unscanned in the cart.

The case adds to a series of unusual retail theft allegations, though this one stands apart from other Target theft cases that have circulated online, with investigators alleging that a child was involved.

The list of allegedly unpaid items

One of the more unusual details in the case is the range of items investigators say went out the door. The list includes 14-karat gold-plated earrings valued at $19, gummy candy, Lysol spray, organic sugar, Coca-Cola, bagels, Philadelphia cream cheese, feminine wipes, an EcoTools blending brush, Bondi Sands self-tanning drops, acrylic paint, colorful stickers, and trading card packs. The unusual mix of groceries, beauty products, cleaning supplies, and craft items has also become one of the details drawing attention online.

She’s charged with petty theft and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Her arraignment is set for September. The allegations involving a child add another layer to the case beyond the theft accusation itself. Similar shoplifting investigations involving parents and children have previously drawn attention, including a North Carolina Walmart case where police became involved after responding to an alleged theft.

For now, what’s confirmed is limited to the affidavit’s account: a mother, a child, a backpack, and 27 items that allegedly left the store unpaid for. The next steps in the case are unlikely to become clear until future court proceedings, and Flagler County has not indicated whether additional charges are being considered.