State Assemblywoman Charged With Shoplifting

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13) -- A state assemblywoman who chairs the committee on consumer protection has been accused of stealing nearly $2,500 worth of merchandise from a San Francisco department store.

Mary Hayashi of Castro Valley was arraigned on Thursday in a San Francisco Superior Court on one felony theft charge. Hayashi was arrested Sunday after allegedly stealing the merchandise from the Neiman Marcus store in Union Square. She was reportedly caught on video surveillance and detained by store security.

Hayashi pleaded not guilty to the charge and will be back in court Nov. 15.

Her spokesman, Sam Singer, said Friday that the incident was a mistake and a misunderstanding and Hayashi did not intentionally take any items.

Singer says Hayashi apologizes and is hopeful the charges will be reduced or dropped.

"The speaker believes this is a serious matter to be resolved by the courts," said John Vigna, press secretary for Assembly Speaker John Perez. "Ms. Hayashi has the same right to due process as every person in California."

Hayashi, 45, is a Democrat and has served in the Assembly since 2006. She was re-elected in 2008 and 2010. She is married to Alameda Superior Court Judge Dennis Hayashi.

Hayashi was born in South Korea and is the first Korean-American woman elected to the California state legislature.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)