Lower Gwynedd Police arrest woman for retail theft after she resists arrest and exposes herself, police said

One Philadelphia woman was arrested with a male companion after selecting a rather unusual way to celebrate her birthday. Lower Gwynedd Township Police were dispatched to the Giant Food Store, on North Bethlehem Pike in Spring House, on July 28 when employees there reported a theft of groceries.

Police arrived on scene at 3:39 p.m., on Sunday, July 28, according to reports, and were flagged down by the store’s assistant manager. The manager explained that two adults, one black male and one black female, had taken a cart full of groceries from the store without paying for them, police said. The manager also provided a description of the two adults and their clothing.

According to reports, the suspects were in the parking lot, loading a cart full of groceries into a maroon Chrysler 200 sedan. Both matched descriptions provided by the manager, police said. 

The male was identified as Dashawn Vaughn Robinson, police said. He was reportedly actively loading groceries into the car. Robinson was detained by police in handcuffs, and placed in a police car without incident, reports said.

Shanda Ashanti Stevens, 22, of the 5000 block of North 8th Street, Philadelphia, however was “passively resistant,” according to police. Reports stated that police attempted to gain control of her wrists, but she pulled away. Once freeing her arm, police said that Stevens ran from them.

Police reported they were soon able to take Stevens to the ground, lying on her stomach in a grassy median of the parking lot. Police said she was “holding onto her shirt with her arms beneath her body,” in reports. 

“While bringing her hands to her back, Stevens ripped her shirt, exposing herself,” reports said. Police proceeded to handcuff her wrists behind her back, they said. Per reports, she was also placed in a police vehicle for transport.

The Giant Food Store manager was able to identify the groceries, and recover them, to establish the value, police said. According to reports, the 61 items, allegedly stolen, totaled a value of $439.19. All items were loose in the vehicle, and not bagged.

Police said that surveillance video confirmed that the couple left the store without paying. The police also interviewed the manager, who’d checked with each cashier and said that no one had checked them out. According to reports, the couple entered and exited near a bakery side entrance, not stopping at any points of sale to attempt to complete a transaction.

Stevens was charged with retail theft and resisting arrest.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.