By Joe Johnson
An Athens woman was arrested Tuesday on multiple felony shoplifting charges for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from the University Spirit store on Baxter Street, Athens-Clarke County police said.
Petite Nate Borders, 28, of Acadia Drive allegedly went on a five-finger discount shopping spree at the University of Georgia-themed store on at least three occasions last month, according to police.
“She took shirts and rows and rows of hats,” said Detective Nathaniel Franco, who investigated the case.
” The estimated total was around $2,075.00, but that was only what we could prove,” Franco said. “ She took much much, more, but some of the merchandise was taken out of camera view and we couldn't identify it.”
Franco said he arrested Borders Tuesday after receiving a tip that she was at the Georgia Square mall.
“Borders currently has several (other) pending shoplifting charges, as well as these new charges, and she will have additional charges coming once I get video from different retailers proving she is the person committing these crimes,” the detective said.
In addition to her arrest this week on three counts of felony theft by shoplifting, Borders was charged with two counts of theft by taking because she allegedly twice carted away stolen goods from University Spirit in shopping buggies that belonged to the store.
Borders allegedly “simply walked out with thousands of dollars of UGA merchandise,” Franco said.
A fourth shoplifting charge stemmed from a theft incident at the Belk department store in March.
Borders was additionally charged with simple assault for allegedly threatening an employee during one of the incidents at University Spirit.
“Put simply, Borders is a known, repeat shoplifter who frequently targets businesses, often for thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise which she then steals and sells for profit on the black market,” Franco said.
Borders was being held Thursday without bail at the Clarke County Jail.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office placed a hold on her release because they had warrant on file charging Borders with theft by shoplifting.