Columbus, OH – A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she’d won the lottery and would pay for everyone’s purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax.
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Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.
Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person’s merchandise up to $500, he said. “Well, of course, people like to hear that,” Deakins said. “Apparently they were in line calling relatives who were not at the store and told them to come.”
People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill, Deakins said. At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1,000 were outside trying to get in, he said.
“She was telling people she won $1.5 million,” Deakins said. “But it ends up she didn’t win anything. She had no money to pay for anything.”
About an hour later, Brown had the limousine driver take her to a bank to withdraw money, but she returned empty-handed, police Detective Steven Nace said. By then, store employees had called in two dozen police officers to handle the crowds.
Shopper Candace Jordan said she told Brown she didn’t need clothes, she needed help paying her rent.
“And she said, ‘How much is it?'” Jordan told WBNS-TV. “And she promptly wrote out a check.”
By the time employees realized Brown didn’t have any cash to pay, police said, she already had taken off in the limo.
That’s when angry customers, realizing they weren’t getting free coats, began throwing merchandise on the floor and grabbing clothes without paying for them, Nace said.
“Everybody was like, ‘I still want my free stuff,’ and that started the riot,” he said. “It looks like (Hurricane) Katrina went through the store.”
Police said they have no way of tracking down the customers who stole items and fled, but they’re reviewing surveillance video.
When the limousine driver realized he wasn’t going to be paid the $900 Brown owed him for the day’s rental, he turned her in to police, Deakins said.
Brown, 44, was arrested on three outstanding warrants for aggravated menacing, misuse of a 911 system and causing false alarms. She was jailed late Wednesday, but no charges had been filed against her related to the coat store chaos pending a mental health evaluation.
Police said they didn’t know if Brown had a lawyer. No telephone number was listed under her name, and no one answered repeated phone calls at the Franklin County Jail.
A spokeswoman for Burlington Coat Factory, which is based in Burlington, N.J., and has more than 300 stores across the country, said late Wednesday she couldn’t comment on the incident.
this is hilarious.i wonder what she will be charged with? did she actually do something illegal?
I just love this story!
The stupid american shoppers believed her, sheesh!
What an original idea! Now they can make a book and movie out of it!
reminds me of a david chapelle clip
“hide the money yall, there people around!”
Actually made me laugh…
I would’ve beleieved her if I waz there. she meant well, and did give away 5g. refuah shleimah
The even stupider (sic) clerks kept ringing up purchases??? Without verification?? Then the shoppers insisted on wanting the clothes anyway?? Is this the jungle?
she did the same thing the Obama Administration is doing giving out free money that they don’t have. the only difference is there we have to pay for the joke.
P.S. I hope our country doesn’t end up looking like the scene at Burlington…
Haha thanks for the laugh VIN
she is smart, she was trying to hint to us that the Empire of USA is on it’s way down. All the promises from Washington are a hoax, as in today’s news no increment in next years social security checks.
She should run for president, I am sure she will put this country back on it’s feet.
crazy world what people would do for 1 day of fame
“I won 1.5 million dollars, and I dont want any of it” Noone would make such a statement, if they truely won. She is obviously mentally ill and acted in an irrational and outrageous behavior.
They have Linda’s face pixellated out, so they can print this story in Hamodia and Yated Neeman.
I wonder how that story would be in an eatery where you can eat all you want and she’ll pay for it. After you ate and there’s no money….. then what?? At least here, the store still had their merchandise back. Funny story
Who wants to eat for free in deli 52 tonight $100 i will be there from 9 till 10 bring your friends.
People are twisted – even though it turned out to be a hoax, that doesn’t give people the right to destroy others’ property. There are unfortunately certain groups of people that feel entitled to free material items or government services because theve been opressed. Get a job like the rest of us.Reminds me of Katrina…
This fits under the diagnosis of Mania.
With the way that BCF has treated their employees, all the layoffs at Corporate in Burlington, NJ, calling your name over the loud speaker so you could come to the office to get laid off with an hour to clear out your desk…couldn’t happen to a nicer corporation.
This is the funniest story i ever read, how stupid could someone be!!
she is going straight to a mental hospital. I bet thats where she was living before she did this. Thats why they couldnt find her listed anywhere.