They were shoplifting and brought their kids — but didn’t bring car seats, police say

Police say there were no car seats of any kind in the car when a couple was pulled over following a reported retail theft.

Lucinda Khodr, 32, and Jesse Williams, 39, both of Vienna, were each charged with retail theft of merchandise greater than $300 and causing a child to be endangered. Khodr was also charged with failing to notify police of damage to vehicles.

Both were in the Jackson County jail on Thursday afternoon, held on $1,500 cash bond each for the retail theft charge. Both also had unspecified warrants from Kentucky.

“They had two children (ages 10 months and 2 years) in the vehicle with them that were not restrained in child passenger seats,” said Sgt. Amber Ronketto with the Carbondale Police Department. Khodr and Williams are the children’s parents, police said.

There was not a car seat or infant seat in the vehicle, Ronketto said.

Carbondale police said they were called on Monday to a store by employees reporting theft of clothing and other miscellaneous items.

Employees watched the pair drive away and drive into two parked vehicles in the store’s lot, police said.

Police were in the area, but not yet in sight of the suspects, when the suspect vehicle hit two other vehicles, which happens “when you try and squeeze in between them, apparently,” Ronketto said.

This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 4:14 PM.