Indian tourist in US caught stealing items worth nearly $1,000 from Target
An Indian tourist was arrested on the spot in the United States for allegedly shoplifting nearly $1,000 worth of items from a Target store.
In the video, Avlani, the Indian tourist, is seen pleading with officers to let her pay for the items she allegedly tried to take. “Why can’t I just pay for it?” she asks, to which an officer replies, “We’re way, way, way past that. You committed a felony.”
“But if I’m paying for it, what is the harm?” she said.
“It would have been fine if you didn’t leave, right? You would have had that opportunity to pay. But because you left the store at that point, you chose to not pay for it, and we can’t go back," said the official in the video.
A police bodycam video of the incident has now gone viral.
Watch video here:
The moment of her arrest was captured and shared by the independent YouTube channel @BodyCamEdition, which uploads raw police footage. The viral has garnered is about to reach 1 million views in just two days.
What will the impact of this incident?
Legal experts say that such an incident can carry serious consequences, especially for foreign nationals. “Regardless, this is a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude, namely one that involves dishonesty and could have serious consequences,” Alen Takhsh, a US-based immigration attorney, told TOI. “If you are in the US on a student visa, an arrest for shoplifting, let alone a conviction, could result in your visa being revoked. If you are in the US on a visitor or work visa, it could lead to you not being allowed to re-enter the US in the future.”
In the video, Avlani, the Indian tourist, is seen pleading with officers to let her pay for the items she allegedly tried to take. “Why can’t I just pay for it?” she asks, to which an officer replies, “We’re way, way, way past that. You committed a felony.”
“But if I’m paying for it, what is the harm?” she said.
“It would have been fine if you didn’t leave, right? You would have had that opportunity to pay. But because you left the store at that point, you chose to not pay for it, and we can’t go back," said the official in the video.
A police bodycam video of the incident has now gone viral.
Watch video here:
The moment of her arrest was captured and shared by the independent YouTube channel @BodyCamEdition, which uploads raw police footage. The viral has garnered is about to reach 1 million views in just two days.
What will the impact of this incident?
Legal experts say that such an incident can carry serious consequences, especially for foreign nationals. “Regardless, this is a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude, namely one that involves dishonesty and could have serious consequences,” Alen Takhsh, a US-based immigration attorney, told TOI. “If you are in the US on a student visa, an arrest for shoplifting, let alone a conviction, could result in your visa being revoked. If you are in the US on a visitor or work visa, it could lead to you not being allowed to re-enter the US in the future.”
Next Story