Pregnant Woman Loses Custody Of Daughter Over $5 Sandwich

Not too long ago, I wrote about a New York mom accused of shoplifting after neglecting to pay for a half-gallon of milk that she accidentally left in her stroller while tending to her screaming toddler (she’s now banned from the supermarket for life). Now I’m hearing about a pregnant woman in Honolulu who, along with her hubs, was arrested for “stealing” two sandwiches at a local Safeway. Here’s the really crappy part: the couple’s 3-year-old daughter was taken away and placed in state care for a whopping 18 hours.

According to Reuters, Nicole Leczcyzynski was 30-weeks pregnant and famished. “I was feeling faint, dizzy, like I needed to eat something, so we decided to pick up some sandwiches and eat them while we were shopping,” she told local television station KHON. (Name me one mother who hasn’t before pulled such a move – it’s called multitasking.)

Apparently, Leczcyzynski paid for $50 worth of groceries but forgot about the two sandwiches, which cost $5 each. While attempting to leave the store, she and her crew were approached by security; they called police and the couple was promptly charged with theft and arrested, while their daughter was taken into custody by Child Protective Services.

Could you imagine?!

It’s one thing to be arrested – which seems like a major over-reaction on Safeway’s part in the first place – it’s another to lose custody of your child. This poor woman! I can’t imagine how she must have felt sitting a jail cell and wondering how her 3-year-old was faring. I know I’d be losing my mind.

Safeway has since issued a statement: “It appears we may not have handled this matter in the best possible way and we are taking the situation seriously.”

Thanks for comin’ out, Safeway! I’m just happy to hear that the family is reunited. They deserve free groceries for life, in my opinion. Or at least some fresh bread and a selection of cold cuts.

(Photo: Valentyn Volkov/Shutterstock)