July 16th, 2008
SAN DIEGO, Calif.
Hailey Paquette
Jean-Yevette Gautier was allegedly involved in a theft of clothes and jewelry worth $3000, on Saturday around 5:45PM at the Roupa Rosa boutique in La Jolla, Calif. Gautier was in La Jolla shooting scenes for a new movie titled “The Convict.”
The boutique’s owner, Sandra Maria Almeida, claimed in a press conference on Wednesday that one dress, one scarf, two bracelets, and a pair of shoes were in Gautier’s purse as she tried to exit the store. Almedia purports that she grabbed the purse before Gautier exited the store after she saw a pink scarf hanging out of it.
Lt. Casey of the La Jolla Police Department was the first to arrive on the scene after an emergency call from Almeida. When she arrived, the door was locked and she could see the women fighting, each with a hand on the purse with the contents spilled on the floor.
She repeatedly claimed her innocence during the conference and said “She [Almeida] hounded me to try to get me to buy things. She put things in my bag to frame me because she wanted publicity.”
Almeida had locked the doors to the store at a request from Gautier. Gautier claimed she was afraid of fans bothering her during her shopping. Almeida stated that she had done the same for other celebrities who came to her store. No one else was present in the store during the incident, and there were no security cameras.
Almeida has decided to press charges. If convicted, Gautier would face a shoplifting and grand larceny charge, with up to five years in jail. When asked how she would prove her innocence, Gautier responded,”Well, I just didn’t do it. My father will help me. He is a rich and powerful man.”
