'Let's play a game called, look in the thief's purse': Small business owner follows a shoplifter home after catching her stealing merchandise

Running a small business is a grueling and difficult endeavor. Margins aren't great, startup costs are high, and sometimes it seems like the cards are stacked against you. For one small business in Houston, on top of everything, she even had to deal with shoplifters stealing merchandise. 

When it comes to shoplifting, some business owners are simply more confrontational than others, but for Sophia Milan, the owner of a small lingerie boutique in Texas, she was not about to let a shop lifter take advantage of turning the other cheek. When an employee spotted the thief sneaking apparel into her purse, Sophia stopped at nothing to track her down. 

Sophia sprang into action and followed the perpetrator to the bus station and onto her route home. After moments of tailing the shoplifter, Sophia charged her, sat right next to her, and filmed herself calling the woman out for theft.

“Guys, okay so this raggedy b!tch just stole from my store, and we're going to follow her to her house because she said she's going to pay for it there. Right?"

“Yes”, the shoplifter meagerly agreed, as if she had any other option or reasonable way to respond to Sophia's direct accusation. 

“So enjoy the ride and we'll let you know where she lives.”

Sophia continued to badger the woman on the bus, knowing there was no way for the thief to escape. She was a sitting target, waiting for the onslaught of Sophia's rage. Not only that, but the thief was now becoming the victim of public shaming, a thorough TSA-level bag search, and now the prying eyes of millions on the internet.

“Let's play a game called ‘Look in the Thief’s Purse'… Let''s see what she has." 

The shoplifter begged Sophia to stop, but it was too late. The calm and collected ship had sailed. 

“Look she also took a skirt! Don't look at me like I'm crazy and you stole from me. The irony.”

After the bus reached the station, Sophia persisted and called the cops on the thief, explaining the entire story to the police, who are seen in the video booking and arresting the shoplifter. Sophia's pursuit and the police investigation found $300 worth of banana republic, stuff from Target, and Adam and Eve in the thief's purse. 

Justice was certainly served that day, whether or not Sophia's tactics were ethical, traditional, or even sane, she was doing what many enraged business owners wish they could do. And by taking matters into her own hands, she may have saved other retail shops from similar fates. Exotics lives to sell lingerie another day.