Woman Fakes Pregnancy, 'Gives Birth' To $91 In Stolen Goods: Police

Shoplifting incidents occur often, especially during the holiday season, and aren’t usually overly noteworthy, but this example out of Southbury is likely to make national news.

Connecticut State Police say a woman faked her own pregnancy and told police she was actually going into labor in an effort to conceal stolen items and avoid being charged.

And the alleged act of deception wasn’t noticed until the woman was examined at a local hospital by EMS personnel.

State Police and Southbury Police officers responded to Kmart at 100 Main Street in the Southbury Plaza on Wednesday to investigate a reported shoplifting in progress.

Officers met with store security and spoke with the suspect, Giovanni Torcasio, 33, of Parker Street in Danbury, police said.

Police escorted Torcasio back to his vehicle and saw numerous stolen items on the rear seat of the vehicle, police said.

Police recovered watches, magic cards and other merchandise from the vehicle valued at $268.93, police said. Torcasio was then placed under arrest. Also shopping with Torcasio was his fiancé, Denajia Bishop.

Upon speaking to Bishop, 27, of Rocky Hill Road in New Fairfield, it was discovered that she had an active warrant for her arrest from the Connecticut State Police for first-degree larceny.

When told she had a warrant, Bishop stated that she was pregnant and was going into labor, police said.

The Southbury Ambulance responded to KMart and subsequently took her to Danbury Hospital. Upon EMS personnel checking Bishop, $91 worth of stolen items were found underneath her sweatshirt, making her appear pregnant, police said.

“It was later determined that Bishop was not pregnant and had attempted to fake her pregnancy to avoid arrest,” State Police said in a news release.

Bishop was subsequently arrested. Bishop stated that Torcasio allegedly told her to hide the items under her sweatshirt because he saw the police come into the store.

Torcasio is charged with sixth-degree larceny and was released after posting a $1,000 bond.

Bishop is also charged with sixth-degree larceny, welfare fraud and first-degree larceny. She was held on an $11,000 bond.