Unreturned Sabrina the Teenage Witch VHS leads to US woman’s arrest warrant
It was an honest mistake from a bygone era, but neglecting to return a Sabrina the Teenage Witch VHS tape rented 22 years ago earned an Oklahoma woman a criminal record for felony embezzlement.
Caron McBride, 52, discovered the charges earlier this month after she got married and applied for a driver’s license under her new last name in Texas.
She was told to call the Cleveland county district attorney’s office in Oklahoma, which told her there was a warrant for her arrest for failing to return the video of the children’s show that records indicate she rented in 1999.
“I have never watched that show in my entire life, just not my cup of tea,” McBride told Fox25. “Meanwhile, I’m a wanted felon for a VHS tape.”
McBride said she has no recollection of renting the video from a store that closed in 2008. But she believes she knows how it might have happened.
“I had lived with a young man, this was over 20 years ago. He had two kids, daughters that were eight, 10 or 11 years old, and I’m thinking he went and got it and didn’t take it back or something.
“I mean, I didn’t try to deceive anyone over Samantha [sic] the Teenage Witch. I swear.”
McBride said she had suddenly been let go from several jobs over the last 20 years, which now made sense.
“This is why, because when they ran my criminal background check all they’re seeing is those two words: felony embezzlement.”
A spokesperson for the Cleveland district attorney told Fox25 it planned to dismiss the case.