Serial Shoplifter Leaves Children in Hot Car While Stealing at Walmart, Lies to Police About Their Location

A North Carolina woman has been arrested for leaving her young children locked inside an overheated car while she was busy shoplifting at a retail store. The incident took place on March 14, when Erika Dixon Johnson, 35, was allegedly caught stealing clothing items from a Walmart store at Pamlico Plaza in Washington, North Carolina.

The store had banned the woman’s entry because of a previous shoplifting incident. However, she still visited the store around 6:15 p.m. with her 3-year-old daughter and allegedly concealed merchandise inside a trash can. As store officials discovered the theft, they called the Washington Police Department.

According to arrest documents, when police interrogated Johnson, her daughter revealed that her siblings were still locked in the car. When authorities asked Johnson where her car was parked, she initially lied about its location and later refused to provide any details.

Police then asked Walmart employees to review surveillance camera footage and track where Johnson had parked her car. When officers reached the vehicle, a blue van, they found two children inside, a 2-year-old toddler and a 3-month-old baby.

Both were sweating because of the heat and were taken to a hospital. On the day of the incident, the maximum temperature in Washington reached 74 degrees, according to National Weather Service data. The children are in stable condition after receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Johnson was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including two counts of misdemeanor child abuse: for leaving the children in the vehicle; shoplifting: for stealing things from the store; second-degree trespassing: for entering Walmart without permission; two counts of resisting a public officer: for providing false information about the car's location; and possession of a controlled substance: for possessing a Schedule III substance during arrest.

Additionally, authorities said Johnson had parked her car in a space designated for people with disabilities. As a result, she was also charged with illegal parking in a designated handicap spot. She is currently being held at Beaufort County Detention Center, and her bail is set at $35,000.

Her court hearing is scheduled for April 6. If found guilty of all charges, Johnson could face more than two years in prison. This is the third time that Johnson has been taken into custody for shoplifting this year. She was involved in two similar theft incidents in February.

According to the Facebook page NC Shoplifters and Retail Theft Awareness, Johnson was previously been accused of stealing an air purifier worth $399 from Lowe’s, household goods, electronics, and appliances valued at over $2100 from Target, and a Dyson vacuum cleaner and Similac infant formula worth over $500, also from Target.