Woman Posts Selfie of Shoplifted Clothes on Facebook, Gets Arrested

facebook_blackbg_logoA woman from West Franfort, Illinois, was arrested this week for posting a picture on Facebook of herself wearing a dress that she allegedly stole from a small store in the town.

The woman, 27-year-old Danielle Saxton, allegedly stole the dress and several other items on July 11 from Morties Boutique, and was seen walking away from the store. The store then posted to its Facebook account and described the stolen items, and after Saxton posted the photo of herself with the caption “Love my dress,” the store was quickly informed. According to a police representative, the woman was arrested the same afternoon she posted the picture.

“I called the police department and said, ‘It just hit Facebook,’ and they were on it in two seconds,” Said Gay Williams Morton, the owner Morties. The dress Saxton stole had a distinct leopard print and was immediately recognizable. Police chief Shawn Talluto also issued a warning about how quickly information can spread on the site.

“We just had a description and a direction of travel, but when the social media aspect played into it, we were able to identify who it was. And by looking at the background of the photograph we were able to pinpoint where she was at,” he said. “When you put something out there, it’s a matter of minutes before it can go viral, and it can go to the world.”