Woman with 5 kids steals cartload from store, hits worker with car, Missouri cops say

A woman stole a cartload of merchandise from home improvement retailer Menards and hit an employee during her getaway, media outlets report.

She had five children with her during the crime spree, KSDK reported.

The woman went to the store in St. Louis County near Ballwin, Missouri, with the children and filled a shopping cart with products Wednesday night, KSDK reported. Then one of the kids pushed the cart past cashiers and into the parking lot to a white car, the St. Louis TV station reported.

People in the parking lot reported seeing the group run to the car, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When the woman spotted a man taking pictures of her vehicle, she assaulted him and stole his cellphone, KMOV reported. Next, she drove the car toward an employee in the parking, hit the woman and drove away, KMOV reported.

The 49-year-old employee was taken to the hospital with a head injury in need of “life-saving treatment,” according to KTVI.

The children with the woman appeared to range in age from a baby to a teenager, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“This is awful,” said St. Louis County Police Department Sgt. Benjamin Granda, according to the newspaper. “Not only for the victim whose life has been changed, but also for these children who were a witness or a part of these crimes.”

This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Woman with 5 kids steals cartload from store, hits worker with car, Missouri cops say."