Athens woman apparently intentionally crashed her car into Kroger

By Joe Johnson

Lonneshia Appling reportedly sat in her car outside of Kroger on Alls Road for several minutes Tuesday morning before she suddenly accelerated and crashed the vehicle into the building, injuring several customers and employees.

A known shoplifter with an extensive criminal history the 40-year-old Athens resident was heard after the crash repeatedly saying, “He ruined my life.”

She was treated for minor injuries and released later that day.

The victims were more seriously injured, with an eemployee suffering a possible skull fracture. One customer had a suspected concussion, and another a lacerated arm.

Police would not comment on whether Appling will be criminally charged, citing an open investigation.

She is a career criminal who gained local notoriety in 2013 as the “Piggly Wiggly Bacon Thief,” for a shoplifting incident at the store’s former Lexington Road location in which she punched, spat at and pepper sprayed employees as she made off with beer, bacon, cheese and chicken wings. She was arrested after police chased her on foot.

An Athens police detective filed a stalking complaint against Appling in 2020 because she was harassing him and his family by driving by their home and making phone calls,

The detective reported that early one morning the woman called screaming at him, saying that she “was going to find him and give him a reason to lock her up,.”

The police department provided extra patrols for the family.

Appling had numerous other arrests since then and was released from Arrendale State Prison last February after serving the sentence for her most recent felony shoplifting conviction.