We’ve all done it: walked out the door without locking up. It happened to Bradford Street boutique BABS + Tish a couple of weeks ago, after closing up shop at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24.

It was not until handbag designer Barbara Materna was home in Tiverton, enjoying a glass of wine, that the motion-activated surveillance cameras at the shop began sending video of browsing shoppers. She knew right away something was very wrong. Customers are great — but not when you are over two bridges, done for the day (or so you thought.)

Materna called the Bristol Police and they quickly responded to the shop she shares with Tish Bodell, a botanical designer. Even while Materna was on her way back to Bristol, the responding officer confirmed that the shop had been left unlocked with the sign turned to “open.” That was remedied, and Materna and Bodell chalked it up to all’s well that ends well. But when they returned to the shop the next day, Monday, Oct. 25, Materna noticed an empty spot where one of her creations, a hand-stitched felted merino wool bag, was once displayed.

A review of the security footage told her all she needed to know.

Between roughly 4 and 5:30 p.m., when BABS + Tish was left unlocked, but with only daylight illuminating the space and no shopkeeper in house, several people entered the building. They all left when they could not find a proprietor — but one didn’t go empty-handed.

In the video, which is remarkably clear, you see the woman admire one of Materna’s bags. She checks, and then balks, at the $145 price tag, replacing it on the shelf, before reconsidering, and walking out with it in hand.

Credit to police

“It was incredible police work,” said Materna, of the Bristol Police response once they realized there had been a theft. “We called Monday morning; by Monday afternoon they knew who did it, and how to approach it.”

The police took the images from the surveillance camera and canvassed other local businesses. The shoplifter was identified by another downtown business owner.

To Materna and Bodell’s relief, the perpetrator is not local. She is a 59-year-old resident of Connecticut who was visiting for an overnight with her adult daughter, who, to her credit, had left BABS + Tish while mom “shopped,” saying “this is not where I want to be” as she walked out the door.

The police asked Materna and Bodell how they wanted to handle it; and having never been in that situation, they asked what he would do. As a background check turned up no priors, the officer advised leniency in the face of contrition.

“I’ve never been through this before,” said Materna. “The officer suggested that if she’s admits it and is contrite, to just ask for a check.”

“Imagine getting that call from the Bristol police,” Materna added. “She knew exactly why.”

They won’t be pressing charges.

“She’s obviously got enough issues,” said Bodell. “She’s the one who has to look herself in the mirror every day.”

A few days later, Materna and Bodell had a personal check in hand to cover the cost of the stolen bag, complete with the woman’s name, address, phone number and husband’s name. Yes, of course they “Googled” her. But they are keeping that information to themselves in hopes that it was a one-and-done moment of remarkably poor decision making.

“When you think of all the bad choices she made from the moment she walked in,” said Bodell. “There are so many ways she could have played it, and that’s what she did?”