Downtown Juneau store Shoefly Alaska lost approximately $1,000 in merchandise after a woman shoplifted a number of items this week. (Photo courtesy of Shoefly)

Downtown Juneau store Shoefly Alaska lost approximately $1,000 in merchandise after a woman shoplifted a number of items this week. (Photo courtesy of Shoefly)

Downtown shoe shop seeks help ID’ing shoplifter

  • By Juneau Empire 
  • Thursday, June 29, 2017 10:40am
  • News

Taking a (Facebook) page from other recent victims of crime, downtown Juneau store Shoefly Alaska took to the internet for help in tracking down some shoplifted items Tuesday.

According to store owner Sidney Mitchell, who posted on her store’s Facebook page, this was the third major shoplifting incident she has sustained this year.

A woman came into the store right before it closed, at 8 p.m., and asked the sales associate to search of some boots.

“Once she had pairs of boots on the floor, she took two pairs (Freebird and Bos &Co.) and some other items and left the store while our ‘Shoenista’ was bringing more items for her to try,” Mitchell’s post read.

“It did seem very calculated,” Mitchell said Thursday.

Surveillance video was turned over to the Juneau Police Department.

Store manager Laurel Messerschmidt posted a video on Facebook describing the items stolen: two pairs of boots, a coat and a black and white polka dot dress.

“I’m super-bummed that I have to do this,” she said before showing examples of the stolen goods. “Please keep an eye out.’”

Mitchell said in the Facebook post that she has operated the store for 11 years, often with only one person on hand, but will do so no longer.

“For some reason this year seems to be a game changer for operations in our small shop,” she said. “With over $1,000 in goods stolen last night, we have already changed our procedures.”

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