SAN FRANCISCO
A criminal complaint was unsealed charges last week charging Carmelita Barela and Rosetta Shabazz with committing robbery from Walgreens while saying she had CONVID-19, according to officials.
“It is an unfortunate reality that there will be those in our community who try to take advantage of the current pandemic to prey on people’s fear of contracting COVID-19,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “While many in our community can remain safe by sheltering in place, store managers and clerks are putting themselves out into the world for our benefit. They don’t deserve to be threatened and robbed. Everyone suffers from a crime like this.”
According to the complaint, on April 6, 2020, Barela, 36, and Shabazz, 32, both of San Francisco, entered a Walgreens near San Francisco’s Civic Center with empty bags and without wearing masks.
After the store manager offered assistance, Shabazz allegedly began to cough without covering her mouth.
The store manager asked Shabazz to leave the store if she was sick. Instead, Shabazz walked over to Barela and both defendants began to cough audibly while taking merchandise off the shelves and placing it into their bags.
The manager told the defendants to leave the store, to which they responded by saying, “We have COVID.” The defendants continued to cough audibly and eventually left the store without paying for the merchandise they placed into their bags.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years of prison and a $250,000 fine.
Barela and Shabazz were arrested on April 23, 2020.