Iowa City Police: Woman Thwacked Hy-Vee Employee with 'Large Umbrella' After Having Food Theft Attempt Thwarted

A Hy-Vee employee was reportedly the victim of an umbrella attack after trying to prevent a woman from making off with a bag full of groceries last week.

According to an Iowa City Police complaint, at 2:30 p.m. on May 2 officers responded to the Hy-Vee at 812 S. First Avenue for the report of a theft.

Store personnel told the officers that Shelly Lynn Cronbaugh, 49, of Iowa City had taken a cart containing "several grocery items" to the back of the store, placed the items in a cloth grocery bag, then returned the cart to the cart rack and attempted to leave the store without paying for the items, valued at $27.21.

When multiple Hy-Vee employees stopped Cronbough in the parking lot she was allegedly uncooperative and attempted to walk away. According to the complaint, when the store employees attempted to grab the woman's arm to prevent her from leaving she began hitting one of them with her large umbrella. The targeted employee did not receive any injury from the umbrella strikes, according to the complaint.

Cronbaugh was charged with first-offense aggravated theft for the incident, an aggravated misdemeanor due to the umbrella attack.