Shoplifter suicide? Woman jumps 25ft to her death fleeing mall security in Rhode Island
An unidentified 35-year-old woman is dead after leaping over the railing of a parking garage at the Providence Place mall on the evening of Thursday, July 16.
The woman had earlier been seen taking clothing items off racks and then bringing them to the counter to "return" the items for cash.
A female security officer working for the Nordstrom store at the mall followed the woman and attempted to stop her from leaving the store. The suspect, however, went down an escalator and then into a parking garage before going up to the first level of the parking garage, which is located about 25 feet above the ground. Other security officers at the mall reported hearing a voice over the radio ordering someone to stay away from the edge.
The edge in question turned out to be the barrier on the wall of the parking garage on to which the suspected shoplifter had climbed. Despite the security officers' attempts to dissuade the woman, for reasons unknown, the suspected shoplifter then leapt from the parking garage. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital but pronounced dead from massive injuries to the torso.
The security guard was temporarily relieved of her duties following the horrific incident but both the store and the mall remained open. Neither the name of the victim nor the name of the security officer have been publicly released, but police say the victim was 35-years-old.
No theory has been put forward as yet as to why a suspected shoplifter would make such a drastic choice considering that her crime is not a felony or violent offense. A spokeswoman for Nordstrom said they were cooperating with authorities and called the incident a "tragedy."
The woman had earlier been seen taking clothing items off racks and then bringing them to the counter to "return" the items for cash.
A female security officer working for the Nordstrom store at the mall followed the woman and attempted to stop her from leaving the store. The suspect, however, went down an escalator and then into a parking garage before going up to the first level of the parking garage, which is located about 25 feet above the ground. Other security officers at the mall reported hearing a voice over the radio ordering someone to stay away from the edge.
The edge in question turned out to be the barrier on the wall of the parking garage on to which the suspected shoplifter had climbed. Despite the security officers' attempts to dissuade the woman, for reasons unknown, the suspected shoplifter then leapt from the parking garage. She was taken to Rhode Island Hospital but pronounced dead from massive injuries to the torso.
The security guard was temporarily relieved of her duties following the horrific incident but both the store and the mall remained open. Neither the name of the victim nor the name of the security officer have been publicly released, but police say the victim was 35-years-old.
No theory has been put forward as yet as to why a suspected shoplifter would make such a drastic choice considering that her crime is not a felony or violent offense. A spokeswoman for Nordstrom said they were cooperating with authorities and called the incident a "tragedy."
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