Mom who allegedly abandoned child in shoplifting attempt arraigned

MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- A woman who allegedly used her 10-year-old daughter in a scheme to shoplift at a Morgan Hill grocery store and then abandoned her and fled police was arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court today.

Marcy Erico, also known as Marcy Keelin, appeared in court for the first time today following her extradition from Nevada on Thursday. Bail has been set at $50,000 and she was ordered to return on Oct. 16th at 1:30 p.m.

Erico, 38, faces charges of felony commercial burglary and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with a Sept. 19 incident in which she allegedly told her 10-year-old daughter to help her shoplift beer and groceries from a Morgan Hill Safeway.

Erico allegedly abandoned the girl when store officials confronted her, and fled the area with her 11-month old son and a male companion.

The case gained notoriety when police became concerned and issued an alert for her and her son after she made suicidal statements to an investigating officer over the phone.

She was tracked down to a Super 8 motel at 1350 Newlands Drive West in Fernley, Nev., and arrested on Sept. 28 on an out-of-state felony warrant, according to Lyon County sheriff's officials.

Erico has allegedly stolen from other stores before. Security videos from a Safeway store revealed that in early September, Erico and her daughter managed to successfully steal a cart full of groceries, Morgan Hill police said.

Following the shoplifting attempt, the girl was put in the care of her grandmother.

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