Indian Woman Caught Stealing Merchandise Worth Over INR 1 Lakh from US Store; Video Surfaces

An Indian woman, visiting the United States, has been arrested for an alleged theft at a Target store. After lingering in the Illinois store for over seven hours, her suspicious behaviour alerted staff, who contacted authorities. Authorities claim she is suspected of stealing merchandise valued at approximately $1,300  (approx. Rs 1.11 lakh) . The undated bodycam footage shows the woman, reportedly a visitor from India, being confronted and later detained by the police.

This Indian woman came to visit her family in America and the first thing she does is steal. pic.twitter.com/nuwZGvwAuC

— David Santa Carla 🦇 (@TheOnlyDSC) July 14, 2025

The footage - originally uploaded as an 18-minute vlog by a YouTube channel named 'Body Cam Edition' - has now been cut into multiple short clips and has surfaced across social media. The original video begins with a Target employee stating that the woman spent nearly seven hours inside the store before attempting to exit with a full shopping cart.“We saw this woman roaming around the store for the last 7 hours,” the staffer says in the clip. “She was picking up items, checking her phone, moving between aisles, and eventually tried to walk out the west gate without paying,” he adds.

The video shows the woman repeatedly telling the police that she can pay for the items, asking them to “end the matter.” However, the officers maintain that the opportunity to pay had passed. “You want to pay for it now, but you weren’t paying for it previously,” one officer says.The woman is heard apologising and insisting she didn’t intend to create trouble. When asked for identification, she says she does not live in the United States and adds that her family also lives in India. She later showed an Indian ID, which, according to the officers, did not match the name she initially provided.“I don’t want to get into any trouble. I haven’t done anything yet,” the woman pleads. The officer replies, “Are you allowed to steal things in India? I don’t know why you keep repeating the same things. It doesn’t work like this.”The video ends with the woman being charged with felony theft and taken to the station for further processing.

The viral video has triggered a wave of criticism from the Indian online community. Many users voiced anger and disappointment, saying such incidents tarnish India’s global image and fuel negative stereotypes. “Being an immigrant, I can’t fathom the audacity of being a guest to this country and breaking its laws ��,” one user wrote, echoing a sentiment shared widely in comment threads. Another remarked, “She went abroad with the country’s passport only to bring disgrace. Now, U.S. social media is filled with hate and contempt for Indians because of one person’s mistake.”