Shoplifting/Retail Security News www.privateofficer.com
An Ypsilanti police officer and shoplifting suspect struggled in the bitterly cold Huron River Thursday night before the suspect ended up in jail.
Officer Robert Eggenberger spotted the 49-year-old man, who’s well-known to police, after employees at a new Walgreens store at Michigan Avenue and Prospect Road reported he stole batteries and other items.
Eggenberger chased the man on foot to the river, and they ended up struggling in chest-deep water, police said. Eggenberger lost his flashlight in the water before he got the suspect under arrest.
Sgt. Kevin Dorsey said neither was injured, and the man was held pending charges.
Responding police wound up arresting the two suspects after they allegedly assaulted the employee, who was hospitalized for his injuries.
Police received the call at 7:20 p.m. Feb. 4, indicating there was a disturbance in the parking lot of the Route 18 mall. Officers found that a male employee of Aéropostale had confronted two suspected shoplifters from his store in the parking lot, and was assaulted during the encounter, according to East Brunswick police. Police said the assault involved one of the suspects spraying the employee with a chemical, and biting him.
Police quickly took one of the suspects, later identified as Claudia C. Gonzalez-Mejia, 31, of College Point, N.Y., into custody at the scene. Police arrested the second suspect, Alex Romero, also of College Point, after a brief foot chase in the mall parking lot.
After the arrest, police recovered allegedly stolen property worth $808 from Aéropostale, $563 from the Express, and $1,488 from The Children’s Place, all stores located in the mall.
Police rendered first aid to the employee, a 24-year-old male, who police said was vomiting and having difficulty breathing due to the chemical that was sprayed, according to police. The victim sustained several bite marks and abrasions during the incident, and was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment.
Gonzalez-Mejia was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, possession of stolen property and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. Romero was charged with robbery, aggravated assault, possession of stolen property and criminal restraint. Each was lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, North Brunswick, with bail set at $100,000.
On February 9, 2009 at approximately 11:21 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Giant Food Store on South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival the officers were advised by management personnel that the below listed suspect had been observed attempting to take meat items from the store without making payment. The suspect was apprehended and the property was returned to the store. ARRESTED: Michael Malik Williams, 42 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
On February 9, 2009 at approximately 6:56 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Best Buy Store on North Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival the officers were advised by store management that the below listed two (2) suspects had been observed by store personnel attempting to take property from the store without making payment.
Lomita CA
A Lomita sheriff’s lieutenant has pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from his shoplifting arrest at a Torrance home improvement store, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Under a deal reached Monday, Jason Lum pleaded no contest to resisting arrest and disturbing the peace, according to Deputy City Attorney Della Thompson-Bell.
A petty theft charge for allegedly stealing a pair of $26 shears from The Home Depot was dropped when he took the plea, Thompson-Bell added.
Lum, 51, must attend 20 impulse-control counseling sessions before he returns to Torrance Superior Court for sentencing on Aug. 10, Thompson-Bell said.
At that time, prosecutors will recommend that Lum be placed on probation for one year. He also will likely receive community service, fines or both.
He must also stay away from The Home Depot.
Lum was assigned to the Lomita station for about 12 years before his April 9 arrest.
He was stopped by personnel at the do-it-yourself superstore at Crenshaw Boulevard and Skypark Drive that evening on suspicion of trying to steal the tool.
He was brought to an office, but refused to identify himself or speak to loss prevention employees, Thompson-Bell said.
Torrance police officers were called and, upon arrival, were directed by a customer to a suspect as he fled from the office, Thompson-Bell said.
Lum lead officers on a foot chase through the store. After a brief scuffle, he was arrested and brought to the Torrance police station, where he was identified.
Lum was placed on leave after his arrest, but his current status with the department is not known.
Messages left for Lomita sheriff’s station Capt. Ronena Anda and Lum’s attorney were not returned.
Myrtle Beach SC
Myrtle Beach man was charged with shoplifting after he was seen putting a package of pork chops down his pants and a watch in his pocket at Wal-Mart, according to a police report.
Ricardo Garcia Rodriguez, 33, of 209 Cedar St., was charged with shoplifting more than second offense after police were called at 4:30 p.m. Saturday to the store on Seaboard Street, police said. Rodriguez had two prior shoplifting convictions.
A loss prevention employee told police she saw Rodriguez take a package of pork chops, put them down the front of his pants and then go to the jewelry department where he took a watch off the displace and put it in his pants pocket, according to the report.
Watertown NY
State Police arrested a Watertown man and another suspect on Sunday in connection with two separate thefts in January.
Robert J. Sampson Jr., 24, of Academy Street was charged with Petit Larceny for allegedly stealing an Apple I-Phone, valued at $449.25, from the Super Walmart in LeRay on January 8th.
Sampson was also charged with Criminal Mischief 4th Degree and Petit Larceny for allegedly stealing an HP computer monitor, valued at $268.00 from the Walmart store on State Route 3 in Watertown on January 28th.
Investigators believe Sampson caused damage to a fire door at the store when the monitor was stolen.
Sampson was issued appearance tickets for town courts in both LeRay and Watertown.
Troopers say the arrest of Sampson and another suspect were the result of tips from the public after investigators released Walmart security photos.
The name of the second suspect has not yet been released
Rockaway Twsp NY
Officers were called to Walmart at 1:57 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, to process Eric A. Chirco, 19, of Hopatcong, on a shoplifting complaint signed by store security workers alleging he tried to take items worth $152.88 from the store, police said.
An employee at a local sporting goods store was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $7,000 in merchandise, police said.
Jose Rios, 20, charged with theft, was arrested Tuesday afternoon at Academy Sporting and Outdoors, 4305 Old Highway 77, said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique.
“He was an employee in the hunting and fishing department,” Manrrique said. “The store conducted an internal investigation into some thefts and he confessed to taking $7,000 worth of merchandise.”
Store security guards told police they caught Monaliben Patel, 35, and Kailasben Patel, 59, concealing the merchandise at about 4 p.m. Sunday, Lt. Joseph Shannon said. The women were detained until police arrived and arrested them.
Both were charged with shoplifting and taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick. They were released Monday after posting bail.
Shannon said the woman live in the same home, but it was not immediately known whether they were related.
Blackman Township MI Officers spoiled a shopping trip for a foursome accused of operating a methamphetamine lab in Homer.
Loss-prevention officers at Meijer, 2777 Airport Road, called police Thursday to report someone had shop-lifted lithium batteries and Sudafed cough syrup, two ingredients in a meth recipe.
Township officers stopped the suspect car in the store parking lot. Items in the car led to a search warrant on a house in Homer, Public Safety Director Mike Jester said.
Assisted by the Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team, township officers searched the home and found evidence residents had cooked meth earlier, Jester said.
His department is seeking arrest warrants against the four suspects.
Salisbury MD
Rodney Vernell Johnson, 21, of the 27000 block of Edgewood Circle, Salisbury, MD was arrested for 2nd degree Assault and Theft less than $100. Officers responded to the area of Prince St and Webster St after a report that employees of Super Giant were chasing a shoplifter on foot. Officers were able to locate Johnson and place him under arrest for theft of beer and snacks. In addition, when Johnson was attempting to leave Super Giant without paying for the items, Johnson was approached by an employee. Johnson pushed the employee backwards before fleeing from the store.
On February 23, 2009 at approximately 5:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Target Department Store for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival the officers met with store security who advised that the below listed suspect had been observed by store personnel taking clothing from the store without making payment.
CORDELE GA — Police responded Tuesday night to a reported shoplifting incident at Wal-Mart Super Store here and made two arrests.
Following an investigation, Sergeant Carrie Lull charged Valencia Jackson and Shontanika Savage, both of Cordele with theft by shoplifting (first offense). Jackson also was cited for disorderly conduct.
When Lull answered the call, a store employee showed her where the alleged offenders were standing.
Lull said she instructed both women to stop where they were. Savage turned around and stopped, but Jackson continued to walk away initially. Eventually, she did stop and speak with the officer, Lull reported.
The women were asked to go with the assistant manager to the back of the store. After an inspection, several items of clothing which had not been purchased were found in Savage’s purse.
Savage and Jackson then were transported to the police department, but later released on a summons to appear in court.
Taunton MA
Robert Fruzzetti, 18, of Berkley, was arrested at 10:49 p.m. He was charged with shoplifting.• Amy Huges, 34, of Dorchester, was arrested at 10:35 p.m. She was charged with shoplifting.
Myrtle Beach SC
Myrtle Beach police arrested a 20-year-old man on a charge of shoplifting after he fled Wal-Mart with $100 worth of DVD movies, according to a police report.
Danial Ray Elliott of 409 Oak St., was charged after police stopped him in the parking lot of a gas station about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, police said. An officer saw Elliott in the parking lot and noted he matched the description of a shoplifter that had fled the store on Seaboard Street after taking several box sets of movies.
When police approached Elliott, he put his jacket over several movies on the ground, according to the report. A loss prevention employee for the store told police he ran from the store and identified Elliott as the man who ran from her when she tried to stop him.
An Horry County couple were charged with shoplifting after they tried to return stolen baseball gloves to Kmart, according to a Myrtle Beach police report.
Dianna Lynn Henke, 48, of 401 North Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, and Timothy M. Tatro, 49, of 259 Crystal Way, Longs, were each charged with shoplifting after police were called at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to the store on Kings Highway, police said.
A store employee told police he saw the couple take two pairs of baseball gloves from a display and go to the customer service count and try to return them for a refund without paying for them first, according to the report. The gloves valued at $30 were returned to the store.
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