Woman Fakes Kidnapping Following Walmart Shoplifting Incident in New Haven

# New Haven Woman Arrested After Fabricating Kidnapping Story to Cover Shoplifting

Here’s a wild one out of New Haven, Connecticut. Police arrested a 24-year-old woman after she spun a fake kidnapping story to hide a shoplifting spree at Walmart.

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Shawnee Lone-Eagle claimed she and her 7-year-old daughter got kidnapped and that she only stole from the store because she was forced to. Her story triggered a big police response and a full investigation. In the end, officers uncovered what really happened.

The Fabricated Kidnapping Claim

On Tuesday afternoon, New Haven police rushed to the Walmart on Foxon Boulevard after a pretty alarming call. Lone-Eagle told them an unknown white man had kidnapped her and her daughter in the Fair Haven neighborhood.

She insisted the man forced her to shoplift while threatening to drive off with her daughter, who she claimed was waiting in a black sedan outside. The details were specific and honestly, kind of chilling.

Police took it seriously, especially since similar things have happened in places like Hartford and Bridgeport. They’re on high alert for these kinds of reports these days.

Police Investigation Uncovers the Truth

New Haven officers jumped into action and started digging into the alleged kidnapping. They searched the area, following the same protocols they’d use in a real abduction case.

They pulled up the store’s surveillance footage, which ended up being the key. The video told a different story than Lone-Eagle’s.

Instead of arriving with a kidnapper, she walked into Walmart alone. No black sedan. No sign of her daughter anywhere.

Changing Stories and Eventual Confession

When police showed her the video, Lone-Eagle’s story started to fall apart. Investigators have seen this before in other towns—her version of events kept shifting.

Eventually, she confessed: she made the whole kidnapping up. Police confirmed her daughter was safe and never involved, which was a relief after all the concern.

Legal Consequences of the False Report

Lone-Eagle now faces several charges, including:

First-degree falsely reporting an incident

Misuse of the 911 system

Interfering with police

Sixth-degree larceny

Turns out she also had an outstanding warrant for something else. Police held her on a $5,000 bond, and she’s waiting for her day in court in New Haven.

Impact on Community Resources

False reports like this one really mess with law enforcement resources across Connecticut. When New Haven police rush to deal with fake emergencies, their attention gets pulled away from real public safety issues.

Norwalk and West Hartford have seen similar cases. These incidents put extra pressure on police who are already stretched thin.

The whole situation highlights the serious risks of filing false police reports, especially when the claims involve kidnapping or child endangerment. What started as someone trying to dodge shoplifting charges quickly turned into a string of much more serious offenses.

Here is the source article for this story: Woman Faked Kidnapping After Walmart Theft in New Haven: Police

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