Food for thought: California grocery store worker is FIRED for confronting shoplifter stealing $500 of goods

A California grocery store worker who was fired for catching a brazen shoplifter nabbing $500 worth of food was unfairly dismissed, a judge has ruled.

Single mom Antoinette Baez, 38, was left unable to claim employment benefits for almost a year after Safeway let her go for simply performing her duties.

The moment cashier manager Baez apprehended the thief along with another employee at the San Mateo store in February last year was even caught on surveillance cameras.

After 22 years working for Safeway, she was fired over the incident in May 2023. She was accused of 'misconduct' meaning she couldn't claim employment benefits.


Baez fought her case through the Employment Development Department (EDD) and secured a ruling in her favor this week.

A judge ruled that she was simply performing her duties, and the decision means she will now be able to claim backdated employment benefits.

Baez' attorney Neil Eisenberg slammed Safeway for acting as 'an open house for thieves' and lamented the impact their decision has had on his client's life.

'They would rather let people just steal from the store than have an employee in anyway interfere with the theft so it's basically an open house for thieves,' Eisenberg told KRON4.


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