Photo Courtesy Of Youtube

Los Altos Florist Brian Davino captured this image of a shoplifter in the act.

Throughout his 20-plus years as a downtown merchant, florist Brian Davino has seen his share of shenanigans – including shoplifting – in his store at 149 Main St. After all, he said, it’s part of the territory when you own a small business.

So when his security camera captured a blond woman sneaking a few items into her oversized handbag during the late-morning hours of Feb. 2, he took action – Davino posted video of the crime on YouTube.

He took the additional step of placing leaflets on his storefront window featuring screenshots of the shoplifter in action – and directing shoppers to the YouTube video.

The merchant told the Town Crier that on the scale of petty crimes he’s seen as owner of Brian Davino Florist, this one is fairly brazen.

“I’d say she was pretty bold,” said Davino, who noted that the shoplifter stole Valentine’s Day figurines and a salt-and-pepper-shaker set totaling $150. “At this point, nothing really surprises me. It irritates me, but it doesn’t surprise me.”

Davino said he filed a report with the Los Altos Police Department, which classified the incident as a petty theft. According to police detective Abe Velasco, thefts of items totaling less than $950 are classified as petty thefts; anything over that amount is considered grand theft. Velasco added that he couldn’t comment on the case, which remains under investigation.

Davino, meanwhile, said that even if the shoplifter isn’t apprehended, he finds some solace in exacting a little payback by posting her image online and in his store.

“We may not catch her,” Davino said with a chuckle, “but I’m pretty sure she won’t come back here.”

To view the video, visit www.youtube.com and type “Brian Davino Florist” in the search field.

Email (will not be published)

Name

Title

Comment
 remaining characters

Post

We reserve the right to use comments submitted on our site in whole or in part. We will not publish comments that contain inappropriate content, advertising or website links to inappropriate content.