Pregnant mom's horrid sandwich ordeal
NICOLE Leszczynski couldn't imagine that two chicken salad sandwiches would land her and her husband in jail and her 2-year-old daughter in state custody. But it happened five days ago,Replica Rolex watches when the 30-weeks-pregnant American woman forgot to pay for her snack while shopping in Honolulu.Wholesale Monster Headphones
Leszczynski, 28, and her husband Marcin, 33, were handcuffed, searched then released on US$50 bail each. Their ordeal at the police station lasted a few hours,Christian Louboutin shoes but their daughter Zofia spent the night away from her parents in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage in the United States and forced the Safeway supermarket chain to review the incident.
"It was the most ridiculous chain of events that happened," the mother said while sobbing on Monday.
The family had moved to an apartment near downtown Honolulu in Hawaii from California two weeks ago. Still settling in, they ventured out last Wednesday to stock up on groceries, took the bus, got lost, and ended up at a Safeway supermarket.
Famished, the former Air Force staff sergeant picked up the two sandwiches that together cost US$5. She munched on one while they shopped, saving the wrapper to be scanned at the register later. But they forgot to pay for the sandwiches as they checked out with about US$50 worth of groceries.
"When the security guard questioned us, I was really embarrassed, I was horrified," she said. They were led upstairs, where the couple expected to get a lecture, pay for the sandwiches, and be allowed on their way. But store managers wouldn't allow them to pay for the sandwiches, she said.
Four hours later, a police officer arrived and read them their rights. A woman from the state Child Welfare Services arrived to take Zofia away.
The pregnant mother said she tried to keep her composure until Zofia, who turns three in December, left the store. "I didn't want Zofia to be scared because she's never spent a night away from us."
The national supermarket chain said it was looking into the incident.
"It was never our intent to separate a mother from her child. That was a very unfortunate consequence to this situation," said Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman for the California-based supermarket chain.
The couple was released after posting bail. A police officer escorted them back to the store - which banned them for a year, she said - where they picked up their groceries and walked home just before midnight.
"We basically stared at each other all night. We woke up at the crack of dawn and called (the state child welfare office)," Leszczynski said. While waiting, she vented about the experience on babycenter.com and contacted a lawyer for help with being reunited with Zofia. At the lawyer's suggestion, they took their story to the media.
Zofia was returned after an 18-hour separation from her parents.
The couple is charged with fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor,Lions jerseys authentic and has a court date on November 28, the city prosecutor's office said.
NICOLE Leszczynski couldn't imagine that two chicken salad sandwiches would land her and her husband in jail and her 2-year-old daughter in state custody. But it happened five days ago,Replica Rolex watches when the 30-weeks-pregnant American woman forgot to pay for her snack while shopping in Honolulu.Wholesale Monster Headphones
Leszczynski, 28, and her husband Marcin, 33, were handcuffed, searched then released on US$50 bail each. Their ordeal at the police station lasted a few hours,Christian Louboutin shoes but their daughter Zofia spent the night away from her parents in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage in the United States and forced the Safeway supermarket chain to review the incident.
"It was the most ridiculous chain of events that happened," the mother said while sobbing on Monday.
The family had moved to an apartment near downtown Honolulu in Hawaii from California two weeks ago. Still settling in, they ventured out last Wednesday to stock up on groceries, took the bus, got lost, and ended up at a Safeway supermarket.
Famished, the former Air Force staff sergeant picked up the two sandwiches that together cost US$5. She munched on one while they shopped, saving the wrapper to be scanned at the register later. But they forgot to pay for the sandwiches as they checked out with about US$50 worth of groceries.
"When the security guard questioned us, I was really embarrassed, I was horrified," she said. They were led upstairs, where the couple expected to get a lecture, pay for the sandwiches, and be allowed on their way. But store managers wouldn't allow them to pay for the sandwiches, she said.
Four hours later, a police officer arrived and read them their rights. A woman from the state Child Welfare Services arrived to take Zofia away.
The pregnant mother said she tried to keep her composure until Zofia, who turns three in December, left the store. "I didn't want Zofia to be scared because she's never spent a night away from us."
The national supermarket chain said it was looking into the incident.
"It was never our intent to separate a mother from her child. That was a very unfortunate consequence to this situation," said Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman for the California-based supermarket chain.
The couple was released after posting bail. A police officer escorted them back to the store - which banned them for a year, she said - where they picked up their groceries and walked home just before midnight.
"We basically stared at each other all night. We woke up at the crack of dawn and called (the state child welfare office)," Leszczynski said. While waiting, she vented about the experience on babycenter.com and contacted a lawyer for help with being reunited with Zofia. At the lawyer's suggestion, they took their story to the media.
Zofia was returned after an 18-hour separation from her parents.
The couple is charged with fourth-degree theft, a petty misdemeanor,Lions jerseys authentic and has a court date on November 28, the city prosecutor's office said.
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