Deanna, a single mother of ten-year old Vickie, worked as a cashier at the local grocery store. Deanna had recently broken off her relationship with Randy, a drug addict who had been violent toward her on several occasions. One morning Randy was in the parking lot outside the grocery store and telephoned Deanna at work. Randy told Deanna that a friend of his was outside Vickie's school. Randy said that if Deanna did not immediately bring $1,000 to Randy in the parking lot, he would call and direct his friend to harm Vickie.

Over the next several minutes, Deanna put in her pants pocket $400 from her cash register at the grocery store. She then went to the manager's office, where she had heard there was a safe containing a large amount of cash. No one else was in the manager's office.

Alma, an assistant manager who works at the cash register next to Deanna's, saw how upset Deanna was after the phone call. Alma followed Deanna to the manager's office, where she found Deanna looking through desk drawers.

Deanna told Alma that she was looking for the keys to the safe because she "needed some papers" from it. Alma smiled, told Deanna where the keys were, and then said, "You don't have to lie to me, Deanna. I'll be outside keeping watch for you." Deanna replied, "Thank you so much, Alma, I am in a desperate situation right now and will return the money to the safe as soon as I can."