TEXARKANA, Texas–A Texarkana woman has been charged with felony child exploitation for allegedly having a 10-year-old child assist her in the theft of hundreds of dollars worth of baby clothes from a local boutique.
Latashanique Lashay Antwine, 26, allegedly stashed dozens of items in the young boy’s “monster-style” backpack, her pants and her purse before leaving the Carter’s children’s boutique in a shopping center off Richmond Road in Texarkana, Texas, on the afternoon of Feb. 12, according to a probable cause affidavit.
As Antwine allegedly pulled infant clothing from hangers in the store, the boy apparently had been trained to turn his back to her and back up so that she could easily stash items in his backpack. Police noted that the boy seemed well aware of what Antwine was doing and had been taught to aid and abet her alleged criminal conduct in a review of video surveillance footage from inside the store, the affidavit said.
As Antwine would remove an item from a clothes hanger, she would obscure the hangar behind other clothing so as not to alert the employee on duty. Investigators reviewed outdoor surveillance from a nearby Target store and observed that the boy’s backpack was empty when he entered the shop and stuffed to capacity when he exited. The same observation was reportedly made of Antwine’s purse.
After Antwine left, the clerk counted 24 empty hangers and estimated the value of the stolen items at more than $200.
Investigators determined that the boy is a 10-year-old elementary school student who is related to Antwine.
Antwine is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with a total bail set at $55,000.
If convicted of exploitation of a child, she faces two to ten years in a Texas prison. Antwine has also been charged with misdemeanor theft of property and faces up to a year in the county jail if found guilty.
The case has been assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell.
