Giuliani's Daughter Accused Of Shoplifiting In NYC
NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS/AP) -- There was a shocking arrest on the Upper East Side on Wednesday afternoon. The daughter of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was led out of an Upper East Side store in handcuffs and is accused of shoplifting.
CBS 2's Dave Carlin reports 20-year-old Caroline Giuliani was processed and charged at the 19th Precinct stationhouse following her arrest earlier in the day. At around 7 p.m., wearing a red sweater and with her arms folded, Giuliani left the precinct with her mother, Donna Hanover, and attorney. Her high-profile father was not present.
Giuliani was busted at the upscale "Sephora" makeup store on East 86th Street, which is near the home she shares with Hanover, who is divorced from the former mayor. Al Jones of 1010 WINS reports at around 2 p.m. Giuliani was allegedly accused by the store's security of stuffing five cosmetic items into her pockets before being busted, products that cost more than $100.
Giuliani was charged with petit larceny, issued a desk appearance ticket and must appear in court. A manager at Sephora would not comment on the case.
For many people the incident seemed so unlikely, given that Giuliani comes from a wealthy family, attends Harvard University and seems to have it all.
"Unbelievable. I mean, amazing. Her mother must be really ticked," one city resident told Jones.
"You hear stories like this and you're surprised. You think that somebody in such a status wouldn't do that," said Neysa Millan of the Bronx.
"Who knows? She's probably going through some problem. She didn't realize she took it and walked out of the store," added Elisah Haniff of the Upper West Side.
The family released a one-sentence statement: "This is a personal matter and Mayor Giuliani asks the media to respect the privacy of his daughter at this time." Caroline is believed to be estranged from her prosecutor-turned-politician father.
In 2007, when Rudy Giuliani was seeking the Republican nomination for president, Caroline Giuliani listed herself as a member of Barack Obama's Facebook group supporting his candidacy. But she left the group after an online magazine sent her an inquiry about it, and she didn't comment on the presidential race.
Rudy Giuliani lost to U.S. Sen. John McCain, who lost to Obama.
He has asked for privacy to deal with strained relationships in his family. His son, Andrew Giuliani, 23, has said their relationship became distant after his father's messy divorce from his mother and marriage to another woman.
Psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Gardere told CBS 2 shoplifting attempts by the wealthy are almost always cries for help.
"This may have been a way for her to get his attention, though it's a very destructive way to do that. So certainly, I'm sure the family is paying attention to what's going on with her and whatever her needs may be," Dr. Gardere said.
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