Police: Woman left children unattended in vehicle while shoplifting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A woman has been charged after police say she left children unattended in a vehicle while she shoplifted items from a store in Citadel Mall.

On Thursday, officers with the Charleston Police Department were called to Citadel Mall in reference to a shoplifting incident at Hibbett Sports involving three women, according to a report.

After reviewing the surveillance video, a manager of the store told authorities that the three women stole several pairs of socks before leaving the store, skipping checkout, just after 12 p.m.

The three suspects left the mall shortly after in two separate vehicles, one being a Ford sedan and the other a gold Chevy sedan.

The Ford was later located and stopped on I-526 after police were informed of the vehicle’s license tag. During the traffic stop, police found numerous pairs of socks, the report read.

The manager was escorted to the traffic stop by CPD to confirm the identity of the driver, Bianca Ward (32).

Police also determined that Ward left three children in the vehicle unattended while shoplifting from the mall.

Ward was charged with shoplifting and multiple counts of cruelty to children.