Maybe you got sick while shopping and ended up passing out in the bathroom. Perhaps you have narcolepsy and fell asleep in the changing room while trying on new jeans. If you find yourself stuck in a store after hours, you should be very careful about what you do while you are there.
If there is any indication that staying in the store after hours was intentional or that your goal was to gain access to the business’s resources without employees around, you could easily face Texas burglary charges.
Hiding until the store closes is a known technique
Given that you did not have nefarious intentions when you entered the store, the idea that someone might suspect you of a crime just because you were still at the store after closing hours may seem ridiculous.
However, hiding until the store closes and then using the lack of employees as a means to openly and calmly steal from a business is a strategy utilized by many burglars. Burglary charges can reflect not just the actual theft of property but also someone’s illegal presence on a property with the alleged intention to deprive the owner or tenant of their possessions.
Those who find themselves in a business after hours could be arrested even if they don’t anything. The charges they face could put them in prison and have a permanent, negative impact on their job opportunities because of the criminal record it creates. Identifying circumstances that might lead to burglary charges in Texas can help you strategize on your defense or avoid situations that look like misconduct to others.