Ride to jail transformed into trip to hospital

A woman arrested for shoplifting at a Myrtle Beach Wal-Mart was rerouted to a hospital Saturday afternoon when police say she suffered a seizure in the back of a patrol car on her way to jail.

Myrtle Beach police responded to the Wal-Mart at 541 Seaboard St. around noon for a shoplifting complaint.

A loss prevention officer at the store told police he caught the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Laura Ashley Howell, on surveillance footage putting multiple items of make-up and a bracelet into her pocket book. He said the woman failed to pay for the merchandise before exiting the store.

The items were valued at a total of $48.

Howell was charged with a first offense of shoplifting.

But on the way to the jail, she started having a seizure in the back seat, according to an incident report. Howell was transported by EMS to Grand Strand Medical Center. She was given a courtesy summons to appear in court on the charge.

This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Ride to jail transformed into trip to hospital."