Violent shoplifting incident lands woman jail, $25,000 bond

Police said a woman caught stealing from a dollar store responded with a knife and a wooden pole before being arrested.

Temica Cassandra Gooden, a.k.a. Temica C. Lemmons, 46, made her initial appearance Friday in Comanche County District Court where she received felony charges of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as misdemeanor counts of larceny, possession of methamphetamine and marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, records indicate.

Gooden was arrested following the Sept. 12 incident.

Police were called to Dollar General, 2202 Fort Sill Blvd., regarding a disturbance with a weapon and, while en route, were told the suspect had fled on foot.

Witnesses and victims told police the woman, Lemmons, was trying to leave with a basket full of items she hadn’t paid for, the probable cause affidavit states. A man entering the store was assaulted by her, waived a knife and an employee said he grabbed the basket of items to prevent her from leaving.

An assistant manager joined the fray to intervene and said Lemmons bit him on the forearm before being pushed out the door. At first leaving the scene, Lemmons returned and said something about a bike. The assistant manager saw the woman going for a knife she’d dropped and tried to kick it away, the affidavit states. She then grabbed a wooden pole with a candle on its end and started hitting the employees before running off, according to police.

Police caught up with Lemmons at Northwest 13th Street and Irwin Avenue but she refused to stop and drop the knife, according to the affidavit. She was arrested and police said they recovered three pipes used to smoke meth, 11.2 grams of marijuana and 2.4 grams of meth as well as two knives and a 12-pack of beer stolen from the store. The customer she’d first run into’s wallet was also recovered from her.

Held on $25,000 bond, Gooden returns to court at 3 p.m. Jan. 9, 2024, for her preliminary hearing conference.