SAN ANTONIO, TX — A Bexar County judge has handed down a three-year prison sentence to a woman who led police on a high-speed chase after shoplifting from a local department store—all while an unrestrained one-year-old toddler was in the back seat.
The ruling by District Judge Stephanie Boyd sent a clear message on personal accountability and the severe consequences of putting a child’s life in danger.
The Shoplifting Scheme Turned High-Speed Chase
The defendant, 27-year-old Logan Armstrong, appeared in court for sentencing after entering a plea of no contest to evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
The charges stemmed from a harrowing incident where Armstrong and an accomplice went into a Burlington Coat Factory with the intention of stealing high-end winter coats, specifically targeting Tommy Hilfiger merchandise, to sell for quick cash.
The situation escalated from a simple theft into a life-threatening felony when police attempted to stop their vehicle. Instead of pulling over, Armstrong took the wheel of the getaway car and initiated a dangerous pursuit.
Inside the vehicle was a one-year-old toddler, who was left completely unrestrained in the back seat during the entire pursuit.
“What Ever Happened to Getting a Job?”
During the hearing, Armstrong begged the court for probation, claiming she was trying to “get her life together” and was utilizing community programs to secure a part-time job.
However, Judge Boyd was entirely unimpressed by the excuses, questioning why Armstrong resorted to crime instead of seeking honest employment to support her family.
“What ever happened to getting a job?” Judge Boyd demanded. “People do that every single day. And a lot of times people work jobs they don’t want to work, but when they have children, they knock their pride aside and they’ll do whatever they have to do.”
Judge Boyd heavily criticized the decision to leave a toddler with a third party in a getaway car while committing a theft, and then driving recklessly with the child inside.
“You get in a car with a one-year-old unrestrained. Explain to me what your thought process was,” the judge remarked, emphasizing the gravity of the danger the child was subjected to.
No Second Chances: A Three-Year Prison Sentence
While Armstrong’s defense attorney argued that she had no prior felony convictions and deserved one last chance to remain in the community to raise her children, prosecutors pointed to her extensive misdemeanor record and the escalating nature of her offenses.
Ultimately, Judge Boyd agreed with the state, ruling that the risk to public safety and the child was far too severe for probation.
Judge Boyd officially found Armstrong guilty and sentenced her to three years in state prison with credit for time already served.
Immediately following the ruling, a visibly emotional Armstrong asked if she could go outside the courtroom to say goodbye to her children, who were waiting with her boyfriend. Citing strict courthouse security protocols, Judge Boyd flatly denied the request, ordering deputies to take her into immediate custody.