By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
Police said that a woman died Thursday night after she jumped from the parking garage at Providence Place Mall. She was suspected of shoplifting from the Nordstrom department store and was being followed by a store security officer.
“There’s different reports,” said Providence Police Major David Lapatin. “Reports of her being pursued or reports of her being walked after.”
He said a female security officer was following the woman, who came under suspicion at about 7:00 P.M. Thursday for allegedly taking articles of women’s clothing off the rack inside Nordstrom, taking off the price tags, and bringing them to the cash register to “return” them for cash.
“She’s approached at the sales counter, she walks away briskly, she’s being followed by security, according to security. She goes down the escalator, she walks out of Nordstrom into the parking garage, first level. She walks to the back of the parking garage, climbs over a railing and jumps to her death,” said Lapatin.
It’s unclear whether anyone tried to stop her, but Lapatin said statements by the security personnel, the store security officer was just trying to stop her from leaving.
“There’s no indication that she attempted to grab her.” He added that security personnel at the mall could hear 2-way radio broadcasts indicating someone tried to dissuade the woman from jumping.
“They could hear someone telling her to get away from the edge, it’s too close and its dangerous,” he said.
Lapatin added, that no one at the store is under criminal investigation.
He would not immediately identify the woman, until her family was notified. He said that she was from Rhode Island, but not from Providence. An autopsy was being conducted by the office of the State Medical Examiner, results were not immediately available.
