Shoplifting Incident Leads to Drug Charges for Woman

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An Eagan shoplifting incident landed a West St. Paul woman in deeper trouble last week, when police allegedly found a meth pipe in the woman's purse.

Danielle Theresa Demars, 38, faces one count of felony, fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, one misdemeanor count of theft and one petty misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted on the possession of a controlled substance charge, Demars could face a maximum of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

On Oct. 5, police were called to a business in Eagan after receiving a report of a shoplifter in custoday, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's Office.

The store's loss prevention office told police that he observed Demars concealing two bottles of hair treatment up her sleeve, then attempt to walk out of the store without paying, according to the complaint. The value of the stolen hair products was $36.98. 

The loss prevention officer also told police that he saw the defendant attempt to remove something from her purse and conceal it in her sleeve, police say. The item turned out to be a glass pipe.

When police arrived, Demars allegedly admitted that she tried to steal the hair products. Police say she also admitted that the glass pip in her purse was hers and that it contained methamphetamine.

Testing later determined that the pipe contained trace amounts of methamphetamine. In 2005, Dewars was convicted of first-degree aiding and abetting the manufacturing of methamphetamine.