Yes there is a process. I don't promote shoplifting. It is a common thing to do but if you think about the consequences (and I can see you are thinking about that) you can see why it is a really bad idea. When your cousin got away the "process" was interrupted. When someone gets arrested for shoplifting, the normal process is that they are nabbed just inside or just outside the store and held by security until the police arrive and arrest them. If they get away the process is interrupted and more often than not, the process stops. If you have this much anxiety about legal consequences how could you ever have broken the law? The police are not going to bring your cousin in for questioning. Shoplifting is not a crime that usually gets investigated like a murder... however it is a crime and if you ask me it is a really bad crime.