Did Danielle Stella shoplift?
Danielle Stella is a Republican candidate who is looking to unseat Ilhan Omar the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district. Earlier this year, Stella was arrested twice for shoplifting. In one incident, is accused of shoplifting items worth more than $2,300 from a Target store. This month, her arrests made it into the press. She denied the allegations in a series of tweets.
"I am not guilty of these crimes. In this country I am innocent until proven guilty and that is the law."
Stella's denials are true. She is innocent until proven guilty. However, saying, "I am not guilty" or "I am innocent" is not the same thing as saying, "I didn't do it." The only true denial is to deny the act itself by saying, "I didn't shoplift" or "I didn't do it."
Update
In October 2019, Stella failed to appear for a court hearing. A warrant was issued for her arrest. As of February 2020, she is still on the run.