Michigan woman allegedly steals two 12-foot skeletons from a Home Depot next to a police station — tries to stash them in bush

The alleged thief didn’t pick just any Home Depot, though. She chose one located right next door to a police station. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t very hard for police to apprehend her.

A spooky steal turns into a grave disappointment

Per Fox 2 and reports on social media, the 12-foot skeletons the woman tried to steal had a $600 retail value. Home Depot employees spotted the woman, and called the Dearborn Heights Police Department.

After they provided a description of both the woman and the skeletons she’d allegedly walked away with, DHPD was able to find her quickly using a drone. The video footage showed the woman trying to throw both skeleton boxes into a bush near the store in an attempt to hide the stolen merchandise.

While the woman then briefly tried to run to escape the police pursuit, she was quickly caught and arrested.

Stealing skeletons might seem humorous, but an arrest is no laughing matter

Lawyers told Moneywise that the alleged thief could face serious criminal charges for her actions.

“In Michigan, a $600 shoplifting is second-degree retail fraud, which covers anything from $200 to $1,000,” Craig Menchin, a defense attorney at Chudnovsky Law, said. “It’s a misdemeanor, but not a small one. The statute allows up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,000 or three times the value, whichever is more.”

Menchin explained that if the woman is a first-time offender, she may be able to avoid jail time and could potentially “end up with probation, a theft class, restitution, and maybe some community service.” However, he said, she would be more likely to face a more serious charge if she has a prior retail fraud record.

“When a defendant has one earlier retail fraud conviction of any degree, prosecutors can charge the same $600 as first-degree retail fraud, a five-year felony, even though the dollar amount didn’t change,” Menchin said.

The forthcoming prosecution of the woman in the video will likely take time if the case against her moves forward, so her fate won’t be known immediately. One thing is clear, though: Stealing a large item mere seconds from a police station to level up your Halloween display is not the best choice. Not that theft ever is.