A Portland woman is accused of shoplifting from a Battle Ground Wal-Mart and then threatening store security with a potentially HIV-tainted syringe.
Venus V. Winkler, 39, appeared Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and attempting to elude police in connection with the Tuesday incident.
A Wal-Mart loss prevention officer called 911 at about 10:45 a.m. to report that she and other officers were detaining a woman in their office at 1201 S.W. 13th Ave. for shoplifting. The woman was being uncooperative and had syringes on her, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
As Battle Ground police pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, an officer saw several store employees chasing a woman, later identified as Winkler, the affidavit said.
Winkler got into a two-door silver Pontiac with Oregon license plates and sped away, failing to obey a stop sign, court records said. She drove south on Southwest 13th Avenue, turned left onto Southwest Scotton Way from the far-right lane and fishtailed. Winkler then drove through a red light at the intersection of Southwest 10th Avenue, according to court records.
Court documents do not say how Winkler came to be in custody.
Loss prevention officers told police that while Winkler was detained in their office, she dropped several syringes on the floor. As one officer attempted to scoot them away from Winkler with his foot, she reached down and grabbed one. Winkler pointed the needle at the officer and lunged at him as if she were trying to stab him, and she told the officer she has HIV, court records said.
Another store employee opened the office door to let Winkler out so she wouldn’t stab any of them with the needle, the affidavit said.
Winkler also is accused of stealing a coat and flea medicine from the store.
On Wednesday Judge Suzan Clark appointed Winkler an attorney and set bail at $50,000, court records show.
She will be arraigned Dec. 30.
