Morgan Hill Police Say Mom Left Daughter Behind In Supermarket Theft

MORGAN HILL (CBS 5) — Police are searching for a 38-year-old Morgan Hill woman who allegedly used her 10-year-old daughter as an accomplice to steal groceries at a supermarket last week.

According to police, Marcy Keelin and her daughter filled up a shopping cart full of groceries and beer at the Safeway on Tennant Station Way on September 19th. Keelin planned to have her daughter wait by the door with the shopping cart while she drove up with her car. Police said the girl was told to push the cart out of the store when she arrived.

"She revealed that she knew it was wrong, but she didn't want to disappoint her mom," said Sgt. Troy Hoefling of the Morgan Hill Police.

Police said the stolen items tripped an alarm and the shopping cart locked up. When workers confronted Keelin's daughter, she took off.

"She knew exactly what she was doing and that she left her there on purpose, not willing to get in trouble herself," Hoefling said, "To sacrifice her daughter for her own gain."

Rick Grassadonia saw police take the girl into custody. "She left the daughter, I don't get it," he said.

Grassadonia said the 10-year-old's reaction was unusual. "This little girl, there was no emotion. She was kind of stone faced, it was very strange," he recalled

Keelin called her daughter's cellphone after the incident. According to police, an officer answered the phone and asked if she would pick up her daughter, but Keelin refused.

The girl was released to her grandmother and does not face any charges. The grandmother told CBS 5 Keelin is manic depressive and police have been by her daughter's residence several times. Their refrigerator was full of food at the time of the shoplifting.

"Those kind of individuals don't deserve to have children. That little girl doesn't deserve to have that kind of a parent," Grassadonia said.

According to police, an investigation revealed Keelin and her daughter were able to elude Safeway staff and steal a cart full of groceries two weeks before the September 19th incident.

Police describe Keelin as 5'11", 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Keelin drives a green Ford Explorer SUV with Wyoming license plate number 4-11118. She faces charges of burglary and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Scott Martin at 408-779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at 408-947-STOP (7867).