Colorado House candidate accused of shoplifting

A candidate for the Colorado House of Representatives has been issued a citation for suspicion of shoplifting.

Tammy Theis tells the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel she mistakenly placed a handful of items in an empty box she had under her cart and forgot about them when she went through the checkout line.

The Montrose resident says she was distracted while trying to help her father move into an assisted living center.

The 54-year-old Democrat was issued a summons on suspicion of theft of less than $500, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines.