A bodycam video of a police interrogation has surfaced online, showing a Target employee accusing an Indian tourist of attempting to shoplift after spending 7 hours inside the store in US. The incident, which took place in the United States (US), has since gone viral and sparked widespread discussion on social media, particularly around visa abuse, shoplifting laws, and the legal implications for foreign nationals in the U.S.
According to the footage, the store employee tells the officer:
“She’s been the store about 7 hours or so. She said she’s waiting for someone to pick her up. She’s visiting here. She said she doesn’t live here. She’s from India. She’s with family. They’re coming to pick her up still a few times. So basically she’s been in the store. We’ve been watching for at least 4 hours. She’s taken a ton of Merchandise, different kinds. We’re getting a total right now for you. It’ll be well over 500, I’m sure.
She put them all into big three reusable bags and she kept getting really close to the door, She’d stand there. She’d set her phone about three time she did that and then she came back into the store, kept shopping and then eventually we just stopped her because she passed the first set of doors, went into the vestibule, stopped her in the vestibule, brought her back here. She’s saying that she was still planning to pay for it.”
During questioning by law enforcement, the Indian woman tourist initially refused to provide valid identification, claiming she didn’t have her passport or any ID on her. She then gave a false name — ‘Anaya’ — presumably to avoid legal consequences.
Further investigation revealed her true identity as Jamisha Avalani, an Indian national who had arrived in the U.S. to visit family members.
The incident has gained traction online, with the video now circulating across multiple platforms. It has ignited conversations on issues such as retail theft, immigration policies, and the impact such cases may have on India’s global image.
See the Video from the Body Cam Edition YouTube Channel. The video was shared the video in the cannel on July 14 and the incident took place on May 1, 2025.
