Woman arrested after reportedly assaulting Target worker

Nov. 25, 2015 9:07 AM PT

A 27-year-old Los Angeles woman was arrested after allegedly assaulting a Target employee with pepper spray after trying to steal a shopping cart full of merchandise, police said.

At around 9 p.m. Saturday, Meaghan Kemp reportedly pushed a shopping cart with more than $300 worth of items out of the store without paying before a loss-prevention employee confronted her, said Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco.

Kemp allegedly pepper sprayed the 28-year-old employee before fleeing on foot.

The Burbank police helicopter, which arrived to the scene first, directed officers on the ground to Kemp, who was taken into custody. In Kemp’s backpack, officers reportedly found items stolen from Michaels craft store.

The loss-prevention employee was treated at the scene for minor injuries, Losacco said.

Kemp is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County jail records.

Alene Tchekmedyian

Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, focusing on accountability stories and writing about failures by officials to comply with transparency laws. Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader.