Cops: Stripper hoped kids would help prevent arrest for lingerie theft

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando woman was arrested Saturday on charges of theft and child cruelty after she was caught shoplifting lacy lingerie in the presence of her children, deputies said.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Ashley Fleischmann, 24, was stopped by a plain-clothes loss prevention officer at the Burlington Coat Factory on East Colonial Drive after she passed all points of sale with no point of returning her clothing items.

In the loss prevention office, Fleischmann produced the stolen items from concealed places on her body, all of which had a total value of $84.91, deputies said. Fleischmann told deputies that the articles of clothing were for her to wear at Crystal Cabaret Gentleman's Club, her place of employment. Fleischmann also said that she had planned to make a quick exit from the store and had hoped that the presence of her children would prevent an arrest, deputies said.

Deputies found that Fleischmann had planned to use her children in the commission of a crime, which is a violation of a Florida State Statute that states, "An intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child."

Deputies said that Fleischmann willfully subjected two children to be the witnesses of her crime, which appeared to be a traumatic event for the children, who cried while on the scene. Deputies also said that Fleischmann said that she knew that the children didn't have another legal guardian who was able to pick them up from the store on Saturday.

Fleischmann, who was irate and cried continuously during her time in the loss prevention office, was taken into custody and booked into jail, deputies said. Her children were further traumatized, according to deputies, when they were placed in custody of the Department of Children and Families. Fleischmann told deputies that she didn't know the last time that both of the children had eaten a complete meal.

During her transport to the booking and receiving center, Fleischmann uttered that she just received the care and custody of her children a week prior and she "couldn't believe this was happening again," deputies said.