A Manteca mother of an 18-month-old son allegedly took five .750 liter bottles of Vodka from the Manteca Target Store and in return had to release her son to officers who arrested her for being a parolee-at-large.

Misty Ann Apodaco, 36, had reportedly been involved in shoplifting at the Yosemite Avenue store along with her male friend Charles Thomas White, 26, as store security personnel watched their movements that were also captured on surveillance video.

Manteca Police waited outside the building as Apodaco allegedly put the bottles of vodka, along with other items, into a store-provided baby diaper bag.

Officers said they felt the couple was somehow alerted to their presence and began putting the items back on the shelves.  Both had past histories of store burglaries, police said.

Apodaco exited the front of the store while White remained inside, they added.  Officer Armen Avakian detained the woman and searched her purse for any sign of stolen property.

When police determined that she was a parolee-at-large and was wanted on a no-bail warrant, they arrested her with her youngster in her arms.  White soon came out the front door and was also detained and was walked in handcuffs to a patrol car parked on the side of the Target Store.

Having three past convictions, officers had planned to arrest him on a felony shoplifting charge – appropriate when there have been three previous misdemeanor convictions.

Because there was no one available to take care of the young boy, White was given a citation and ordered to appear in court.

Both were charged with attempted burglary.  The boy’s mother is being held without bail on the felony violation of her parole that most likely will send her back to prison, officers said.

Shoplifting becomes more serious as a burglary when police can prove it was planned and not a spur of the moment crime, according to officers.

She is to appear in the Manteca Branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.