BROOKINGS, S.D. — Miss South Dakota USA, Shania Knutson, has been suspended from her role as she faces petty theft charges in Brookings County.
Court documents allege Shania Ann Knutson committed repeat thefts at Walmart between October and December. Knutson allegedly stole a total of $554.54 worth of goods across 12 separate occasions. She was allegedly “‘skip scanning’ and/or ticket switching to commit these acts,” the documents state.
Knutson, of Brookings, was crowned Miss South Dakota USA 2022. Knutson was also Miss South Dakota Teen USA in 2018 and appeared in Miss USA 2022.
Denise Wallace, Executive Co-Director of Miss South Dakota USA state pageant issued a release saying, “We are aware of Shania’s recent arrest for first-degree petty theft. We moved to suspend Shania from her role as Miss South Dakota USA pending her first court appearance later this month. Following her initial court appearance, we will be determining a course of action regarding Shania and her role with the state pageant.”
The violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Online court records indicate Knutson has another pending case for a second-degree charge of petty theft, less than $400. According to the Brookings County State’s Attorney, Knutson’s initial appearance is scheduled for Feb. 13 for both charges.
