Quesnel RCMP responded to what they called a crime spree in October of last year.
Sergeant Richard Weseen says it began at the hospital where a female suspect was accused of stealing a jacket from an employee that contained keys in it.
She is then accused of going into her car and of stealing her purse, and of using the person’s credit cards and debit cards to make fraudulent purchases at several businesses.
Weseen says the suspect wasn’t done.
“She then stole another female’s credit cards and debit cards, used them again at a local gas station several times, and then ultimately ended up at the West Park Mall where several fraudulent purchases were also made.”
Weseen says RCMP investigated the incident and then handed it off to the crown.
“RCMP forwarded several charges to the crown for charge approval.  We were notified by the crown that they considered charge approval but they declined to lay charges, and in lieu of charges the crown issued a caution letter to the female.”
The BC Prosecution Service says the crown concluded that, in light of the circumstances of the individual arrested and the nature of the charges, the public interest was appropriately addressed with a caution letter.
It says it is consistent with policy on Charge Assessment and Alternatives to Prosecution.
Those policies are publicly available on the BC Prosecution website.
This case drew a lot of media attention when a mall security guard aggressively detained the suspect just outside the mall until police arrived.
His actions were also investigated and charges against him have also been forwarded to the crown.
Weseen says RCMP have not heard back from the crown on that case.