WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: Brenda Heist

Brenda Heist is the name of a Pennsylvania mother who left the laundry half done and dinner defrosting in the kitchen 11 years ago to go hitchhiking with strangers, but has returned home. Heist's two children, eight and 12 when she disappeared, are now grown. Her husband is remarried. Her family had long ago written her off as dead. Her ex had even been a murder suspect in the case. Heist was going through a divorce and struggling financially when she went missing in 2002. Tonight's shaming isn't about her little (well, not so little) disappearing act, but rather about some of the criminal acts she committed while legally dead. On Friday, Heist was taken into custody in Alachua County, Florida under the alias of Kelsi Smith for violating parole out of Pensacola for stealing a woman's driver's license. Heist was originally sent to jail following an arrest in Pinellas County for driving with an expired tag and drug possession. During that arrest, the courts learned that Heist, using her "Smith" name, was wanted in Pensacola for stealing the driver's license and sent her to Santa Rosa County to face charges. She was released from jail several weeks ago and did not report to her parole officer, which led to an arrest warrant out of Santa Rosa County in the Pensacola area.