Police: Shoplifter Squirmed to Hide Drug Bag in Pants

A local woman was arrested last month on felony drug and theft charges after an incident at Market Basket.

April A. Gardner, 25, of Concord, was arrested at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21, 2013, and charged with theft and possession of controlled drugs, both felonies.

An officer was called to the Market Basket on Storrs Street for a shoplifter in custody, according to a Concord Police arrest report. According to an employee, Gardner allegedly took a Market Basket tote bag from a shelf, put non-food items in the bag, and later, put the tote bag on the floor of the store and paid for some food items. 

The employee stated that Gardner allegedly later returned to the bag, picked it up, and placed it in her carriage, and left the store without paying for the items in the tote bag. The items were valued at around $188, according to the report.

Outside the store, Gardner agreed to come back inside and allegedly admitted to the theft. She was later arrested.

During a pat down, an officer reportedly found a small makeup bag inside her jeans and alleged that Gardner “became agitated and attempted to hide the bag further by squirming around.”

The officer retrieved the bag and alleged that it contained hypodermic needles, a metal spoon with residue, and cotton swabs with heroin on them.

Inside of a purse, the officer allegedly found empty Suboxone filmstrips inside a torn piece of paper.

The officer alleged that Gardner stated she had been “attempting to stay clean but admitted to using heroin,” according to the report.

Gardner, according to police, had been previously convicted of theft in October 2011 and August 2012 in Concord District Court, so the theft charge was raised to a felony. She was arrested on April 4, 2012, on Loudon Road, and reportedly stole $108 worth of items.

Gardner was released on $20,000 personal recognizance bail and was arraigned in court on Jan. 27.

Editor’s note: The following story was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.