Archive
Retail Security/Shoplifting News www.privateofficer.com
Valdosta police arrested Appolonia Monique Bowen, 20, on the 1400 block of North Lee Street for charges of shoplifting and interference of an officer, according to reports.
GRAND JUNCTION CO
Maria Castro, 54, was arrested and released on a summons for shoplifting at 2545 Rimrock Ave., Grand Junction, CO. (RICE 02-6) April 26 1912 Hours Adam Area
Frank R. Hickson, age 39, was arrested and released on summons for theft by shoplifting causing the business a loss of less than $500.00 at 2881 North Ave Grand Junction, CO.
Albert M. Carrera, age 22, was arrested and released on summons for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft by shoplifting causing the business a loss of less than $500.00 at 200 Rood Ave Grand Junction, CO. (BALDOZIER 07-13) April 28 1156 Hours David Area
OAKLAND PARK IL
Ali Yousef, 26, 17758 65th Court, Tinley Park, was charged with retail theft after he put on a new pair of Nike gym shoes April 15 and left the J.C. Penney store in Orland Square mall, police said
Lisa Hodge, 42, of Joliet, was charged with retail theft after she stole clothing and household items valued at $1,576 on April 17 from Kohl’s in Orland Park Place mall, police said
Britteny McDavid, 20, 20031 Juniper Ave., Lynwood, was charged with retail theft after she stole a blouse and jeans April 20 from Macy’s in Orland Square mall, police said.
Christiana James, 22, 22997 Kristine Lane, Richton Park, was charged with retail theft after she stole clothing April 23 from Macy’s in Orland Square mall, police said.
Police arrested Katie Eileen Sterling, 19, of Show Low on misdemeanor shoplifting charges at Kmart. Police said after searching Sterling, they found $105.94 in store merchandise she had allegedly concealed and left the store without paying for. Police said Sterling was booked and held on the misdemeanor shoplifting charges
FRAMINGHAM MA- A Worcester man was arrested Wednesday at 4:32 p.m. after police said he shoplifted at Wal-Mart.
Richard DiRenzo, 41, of 5 Giusto St., was charged with shoplifting of property worth more than $100, a third offense, police said.
DiRenzo also had an Oxford District Court warrant that charged him with larceny of property worth more $250, shoplifting and conspiracy to commit a crime, police said. DiRenzo had a second Oxford warrant that charged him with larceny of property worth more than $100.
MARLBOROUGH MA – A Marlborough woman was arrested Wednesday and charged with shoplifting by concealing merchandise, police said.
Tracey D. Gotthardt-Drouin, 34, of 59 Conrad Road, was arrested at Hannaford Supermarket on Boston Post Road West at 7:30 p.m., police said.
MILLVILLE NJ Michelle Yvette Handy, 41, of South 2nd Street was arrested Thursday on a shoplifting warrant. Handy, also known as Michelle Thompson, was jailed on $5,000 bail.
EVANSVILLE IN
Police are searching for a man who robbed an Evansville Wal-Mart at knife point and got away.
Around 10:30 Friday night store Security guards at the Red Bank Road location, saw a man putting merchandise into his pockets and inside his shirt.
They approached the suspect on his way out of the bathroom and led him to the security office for questioning.
The man threw the merchandise across the table and began fighting with security. He pulled out a box-cutter, pointed the weapon at the guards and backed out of the room.
At some point during the fight, the suspect cut himself with the box-cutter. No one else was injured.
Wal-Mart security cameras have his escape on surveillance.
NATICK MA – A 42-year-old woman was arrested Friday on a shoplifting charge at the Natick Collection, police said.
Michelle Yvette Handyof 43 Beaver St., Apt. 11B, Framingham, was charged with shoplifting goods worth more than $100 and maliciously destroying property worth more than $250, police said. She was arrested at the Hollister clothing store shortly before 4 p.m., police said.
GREENSBORO NC
A man was arrested after allegedly shoplifting nearly $1,500 in cloth at Four Seasons Town Centre, according to the Greensboro News & Record.
According to the paper, Gary Van Hammonds, 41, stole $1,500 in clothing from the Belk at Four Seasons. The store’s loss prevention staff stopped the man in the parking lot. When they attempted to escort him back inside the store, he dropped the items and ran to his vehicle.
A Greensboro police officer was in the mall’s parking lot and saw the items on the ground and the suspect running towards a vehicle.
The officer attempted to force Van Hammonds to pull over, but he refused and the officer chased him for a short distance before the driver’s tire blew out near US 220.
Van Hammonds was charged with felony larceny and several other charges related to the chase.
On May 5, Deputy H. Allen responded to JC Penney in California for a report of a theft. Investigation revealed Sherri Lynn Newby, 32, of Avenue, took several items from the store, placed them in a bag, and walked past all points of checkout. Newby was stopped by store security and detained until Deputy Allen arrived. Newby was charged with theft under $500.
Myrtle Beach SC
A Myrtle Beach man was charged with trying to steal DVD movies from Wal-Mart, according to a police report.
Damien Duran, 36, of 2103 Withers Lane, was charged with shoplifting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the store on Seaboard Street, police said.
A store loss prevention employee told police she saw Duran take two DVDs, go into the bathroom and then come out without anything, according to the report. The cases for the movies were found in a toilet and the employee stopped Duran and recovered the items from his pockets.
The DVDs, valued at $48.51, were recovered, according to the report.
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Security Officer Killed In Crash www.privateofficer.com
A 47-year-old Sea Pines security officer was killed while driving to work Friday night when his car struck a 12-foot alligator and then swerved into an oncoming Greyhound bus in Jasper County, officials said Saturday.
Steven Newell of Savannah was killed instantly, Jasper County coroner Martin Sauls III said. There were no injuries on the bus.
The alligator also was killed, Sauls said.
Newell, a 21-year veteran of the Sea Pines security department on Hilton Head Island, was headed east on S.C. 170 near the Georgia border when his 2008 Kia struck the alligator around 9:40 p.m., S.C. Highway Patrol and Sea Pines officials said.
Newell then swerved into westbound traffic, hitting the Greyhound bus head-on, Cpl. Paul Brouthers of Highway Patrol said.
Traffic on the road was stopped in both directions for about four hours, Brouthers said.
The news of Newell’s death shocked his colleagues at Sea Pines, Security Director George Breed said Saturday afternoon.
Newell, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the Sea Pines department after leaving active duty 21 years ago, usually worked the midnight shift, where he served as a dispatcher, manned the gates and conducted bicycle trail patrol, Breed said.
“He was dedicated and dependable,” Breed said. “He always carried his share of the load.
Newell was a well-liked and recognizable part of the Sea Pines community, Breed said.
“He spent 21 years of his life — almost half his life — with this agency,” he said. “He had strong bonds with the staff and with the community.”
Breed, who started his career in Sea Pines eight months after Newell, said he told Newell’s co-workers about the crash as they prepared to begin their first shift without their friend overnight Friday.
“He will be sorely missed and very difficult to replace,” Breed said.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Armed citizen shoots out tire of fleeing shoplifters www.privateofficer.com
A citizen with a “concealed-carry” handgun license shot out a tire on a car full of fleeing shoplifters, then followed them in his own vehicle Wednesday morning, helping Azle police apprehend four people who were subsequently charged with robbery.
Police officers from at least three agencies caught up with everyone in a neighborhood behind Allsup’s convenience store off Highway 199 west of Azle.
Four accused shoplifters had been spotted by employees of Albertsons grocery store and were attempting a getaway with less than $50 worth of miscellaneous items when they were spotted by a citizen in the parking lot. The citizen was carrying a properly licensed concealed weapon, Azle police chief Steve Myers said Wednesday afternoon.
The fleeing driver seemed to be headed straight for the citizen, who fired at the vehicle, striking a front tire.
Another citizen called 911 and reported “an undercover officer shooting at someone who tried to run him down,” Myers said.
That “undercover officer”, it was later discovered, was the armed citizen, Myers said. Both the caller and the “shooter” remained unidentified by police in the interest of their safety.
However, the man with the handgun got in a pickup and followed the suspect vehicle, which could no longer be driven by the time it arrived in the neighborhood, Myers said.
“I guess they thought they could turn off the highway and get lost out in the county,” he said.
However, that area is made up of just a few interconnected streets, with no other way out besides the highway, he said.
Arrested were Michael Reiser, 38, of San Angelo; Kyle Scott, 21 of Fort Worth; Jennifer Jeffrey, 35, of San Angelo; and Tami Mickey, 32, of Fort Worth.
Three of the four were apprehended at the vehicle by Azle police in the 400 block of Oakwood Street. Reiser, the driver, was caught by Azle officer Chris Negrete and a DPS trooper about 30 minutes later in the 1600 block of Willowwood Drive.
Both are off of Pearson Lane, north of the highway.
The four reportedly discarded the shoplifted items as they drove from the scene.
They will be charged with robbery, a felony, instead of shoplifting, a misdemeanor, because the car was used as a deadly weapon in their escape, Myers said.
Albertson’s is in Tarrant County, so charges will be filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office even though the suspects were caught in Parker County. Azle police, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies and at least two Department of Public Safety troopers helped in the chase, Myers said.
The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen.
“Our concern in a situation like that is the number of people in the immediate vicinity of an individual who don’t have a way to know who or what he is,” Myers said.
“A uniformed officer is easily identifiable. But the public doesn’t know who (a citizen with a handgun) is, or how to help.”
On the other hand, this particular citizen did choose the most restrained use of his weapon, firing only at the tires of the vehicle and ultimately helping catch a car full of suspects.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Professor wanted for murder found dead www.privateofficer.com
Searchers found two guns near the body of marketing professor George Zinkhan, 57, but police wouldn’t say how he died. They did say it appears he buried himself in brush and dirt.
“A person who is not accustomed to the woods would never have found the body,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin.
Zinkhan disappeared after the April 25 shootings near the University of Georgia, where he’d had a spotless record since arriving to teach in the Terry College of Business in the 1990s.
Bulletins were issued nationwide and authorities kept watch on airports in case he tried to flee to Amsterdam, where he had taught part-time at a university since 2007. Federal authorities later revealed Zinkhan had a flight to Amsterdam booked before the shootings, but the professor never showed up at the airport on the May 2 departure date.
Instead, cadaver dogs found his body about 10 miles west of Athens in thick woods in Bogart, where he lived. Searchers — as many as 200 at one point — had been scouring the woods since his Jeep was found wrecked and abandoned in a ravine about a mile away a week ago. The guns found with him matched the description provided by people who witnessed the shootings.
Neighbor Bob Covington called Saturday’s discovery “another sad chapter to the story.” Zinkhan dropped off his children at Covington’s house after the shootings, saying there was an emergency. It was the last time anyone saw him alive.
“It’s been two weeks of people being on pins and needles, every time you see a police car,” Covington said. “I think this will ease a lot of tension. People can get back to their lives and move on from this horrible tragedy.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab confirmed later Saturday that the body was Zinkhan.
Reached by phone at her home in Baltimore, his mother, Mary, said she was aware he’d been found.
“I’ve heard that news,” she said. “I have nothing to say about it.”
Police said Zinkhan argued with his wife, Marie Bruce, 47, outside a reunion for the Town & Gown Players, a local theater group. Bruce was a family law attorney who was serving as the group’s president.
Police say he walked away briefly before returning with two handguns and killing her, along with Clemson University economist and actor Tom Tanner, 40, and Ben Teague, 63, a longtime theater group volunteer who was married to a popular UGA professor. Two other people were injured by bullet fragments.
Police at first said they had no motive for the shooting. The FBI said later friends and family indicated Bruce may have been considering a divorce. Police believe their children were in Zinkhan’s Jeep during the shootings but weren’t hurt.
Things were tense for a time in the quiet college town 70 miles northeast of Atlanta after school officials alerted students, faculty and staff to be on the lookout for Zinkhan. But life on campus started to return to normal after days went by with no sign of the professor, who was fired after the shooting.
UGA President Michael Adams on Saturday expressed condolences to the friends and loved ones of the victims.
“Our hearts go out to each of them as they try to bring closure to and cope with the pain and sorrow these losses of life have caused them,” he said. “May they ultimately find healing and peace.”
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Security officer captures burglary suspect www.privateofficer.com
James Adler, 43, of 31 Lincoln Ave., Somerville, was staying at the Marriott hotel in Springfield on business Thursday night, police said. He allegedly went out on the town and came back to the Sheraton Hotel parking garage on the first floor and allegedly tried to break into two cars and steal their GPS systems, according to police.
Police said Adler, who was allegedly drunk, was not quiet during his crime rampage and the parking attendant heard the breaking glass and called security.
Hotel security responded and tackled Adler to the ground then called police, according to Sgt. John Delaney. Officers responded and placed him under arrest and the owners of the stolen property were able to get it back.
Adler will be charged with two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and larceny of property valued over $250.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
NY shoplifting sprees lead to arrests www.privateofficer.com
Best Buy workers called police to the outer mall store at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, after detaining Phillip W. Cox, 378, of Tobyhanna, Pa., with what they said was $3,250 worth of merchandise stolen from their store. Cox was charged with receiving stolen property, police said, and was unable to post the bail of $10,000.
Four Bronx, N.Y., men who allegedly had Target merchandise worth $3,691.82 in their possession when stopped by store security workers at the outer mall store at 12:37 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, were charged with shoplifting and receiving stolen property, police said. The four, Peter M. Vega, 37, Virginio J. Ramos, 39, Ralph J. Flores, 28, and David Gambichler, 18, all of the Bronx, were placed in Morris County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail each, police said.
Charged With Shoplifting
Workers at Spencers Gifts at the mall called police to the store at 8:06 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, to process Kevin N. Castaniero, 20, of Atascadero, Calif., on a shoplifting charge they filed against him for allegedly taking items worth $4.99, police said.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Fort Rucker security unhappy about physical fitness test www.privateofficer.com
Dothaneagle.com
The company which contracts the security officers at Fort Rucker recently changed and as a result the 130-plus officers will have to take an unexpected physical fitness test.
Retired Command Sgt. Major Johnny Oliver, who works security at Fort Rucker, said the officers did not know they would have to take the test before the end of May until a few weeks ago. Oliver, who serves as the local union representative for United Government Securities Officers of America, said Fort Rucker officials sent out a letter in October to the officers, who work at the gates of the post, saying a new version of the physical exam would be required, but they did not say when.
“There’s no consideration for age, sex, or disability for the PT test,” Oliver said. “I’m not worried about it myself, but we have a lot of guards that if they had until October, they might pass. There’s no consideration for how this will affect people’s lives.”
Oliver said the security force normally takes the physical fitness test each year in October, giving them plenty of time to prepare. He said the last-minute notice and the updated, more strict test will likely cause 40 to 50 percent of the current security force to fail the exam, possibly losing their job.
Ryszard Zurek, another union representative, said the age range of the security force at Fort Rucker varies from 22 to 65, and includes about 20 to 30 percent who are military veterans.
“The government is not taking into consideration the age disparity,” Zurek said. “We’ve got to remember these people are not first responders.”
Zurek said the security officers have been told since a new company has been contracted they have to take the physical fitness test again after they already took one in October 2008. He said some of the requirements of the new physical fitness test include running 1.5 miles in 17 minutes and 30 seconds, 22 pushups in two minutes and 29 situps in two minutes. He said they will also be required to sprint 300 meters in 81 seconds. Previously, he said the older security officers would get more time to perform each of the physical fitness requirement.
“What we’re looking for is ample time to go ahead and practice, and secondly give us some age requirements,” Zurek said. “Otherwise what they’re looking for is people who are 25, blond, blue eyed and in top physical shape, and that’s just not going to happen.”
Lisa Eichorn, the public information officer for Fort Rucker, said any dispute the security officers may have is between them and their employer, Santa Fe Protective Services, which was recently awarded the security contract at the post by the government.
But Oliver disagreed and said it’s a dispute between the security officers and the contracting office on Fort Rucker.
Butch Makie, the owner of Santa Fe Protective Services, said he’s been told by officials at Fort Rucker the security officers have known about the physical fitness test for a year. Makie said that according to the contract they entered with Fort Rucker, the officers will have to take the physical fitness test by the end of May.
“This has been going on across the country as security levels have been increased,” Makie said. “I imagine if they can’t pass, if we’re forced to release them, we’ll hire other people from the local area.”
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
GA shoplifter leads police on three county chase www.privateofficer.com
An Augusta man was arrested Friday in Burke County after police said he led them on a three-county chase and nearly hit two officers with his truck.
Police said they began chasing Gary Kitchens, 45, at Wal-Mart on Knox Avenue in North Augusta after he stole a CD player, according to Lt. Robert Bell of North Augusta Public Safety.
When Wal-Mart security tried to detain Mr. Kitchens, he got into a Ford Ranger and drove across the street to Lowe’s, where he almost ran over an officer, according to police.
The chase continued onto East Martintown Road to U.S. Highway 1 into Georgia.
Richmond County deputies joined the chase at Super Inn at 1602 Gordon Highway.
When Mr. Kitchens saw the police, he sped up, nearly striking a Richmond County deputy, police say.
Authorities followed him to Girard, Ga., according to Richmond County sheriff’s Lt. Scott Gay.
Sardis, Ga., police disabled his vehicle, which crashed in a field.
Mr. Kitchens will be charged with reckless driving, driving under suspension, assault and battery with intent to kill a police officer, shoplifting and failure to stop for siren in North Augusta, Lt. Bell said.
He is also expected to face charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle in Richmond County.
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Three charged in shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com
Three Sioux City, Iowa, women were arrested Thursday afternoon, accused of taking more than $1,700 in clothes and perfume from several Sioux Falls stores, police spokesman Sam Clemens said.
A loss prevention officer at Gordman’s reported the women to police, who were then able to catch up with the women as they tried to drive away, Clemens said. The women had stolen creams, lotions, perfume, shorts and other clothes from various stores at The Empire Mall, he said.
“Turns out there was merchandise for Gordman’s, Younkers, Gap, Maurices and Victoria’s Secret,” Clemens said.
Latoya Mona Ford, 19, and Jennifer Rose Williams, 27, face grand theft charges. A third woman, Janice Elaine Brown, 48, is charged with grand theft and trespassing because she previously was ordered not to be on Gordman’s property.
Both Brown and Williams have multiple convictions for theft and possession of stolen property in Iowa, according to court records.
An organized effort by several individuals to shoplift from the mall is rare, said Chrissy Spoo, marketing manager for The Empire Mall. “I would say this is a once in a blue moon case,” she said.
Individual retailers are responsible for any security devices inside their store and also are responsible for apprehending shoplifters, Spoo said. “Mall security may be called in to assist, but our security officers do not apprehend shoplifters,” she said.
The police department and mall officials occasionally communicate about retail thieves, Spoo said.
“There have been times in the past where the Sioux Falls Police Department has known of people and passed along a photo and said for us to keep an eye out for these individuals,” she said.
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
NC teacher charged with sex crimes with minors www.privateofficer.com
After consultation with the District Attorney’s Office Williamston Police obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Paul Benford Shepard, a teacher with the Martin County School System, charging him with one count of Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The warrant was served on 5-8-2009 and Mr. Shepard was placed under a $50,000.00 unsecured bond with a special condition to not be in the presence of a minor under the age of eighteen.
This case is still in the beginning stages with further analysis of evidence as well as investigation to follow.
Anyone with information concerning this case or any case involving the exploitation of children is urged to contact the Williamston Police Department or the Law Enforcement agency covering their area.
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Fraud suspect shot by police www.privateofficer.com
Police say a woman was shot in the stomach after she struggled with an officer for his gun.
Officers approached the woman after employees at a store thought she was trying to use a stolen credit card.
The incident began at the Louis Vuitton store in the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue. The woman was shot outside on nearby Walton Place.
Louis Vuitton employees suspected their customer was trying to buy a pricey purse using stolen credit cards and identification. Store security called police. That’s when the woman is said to have fled to a getaway car idling around the corner. A pair of police officers confronted her there.
“There was a struggle where she eventually made it to a vehicle. She made it to the vehicle, at which point a shot was fired,” said Chicago police department Cmdr. Eric Washington.
“A young woman, there was a car. Both doors were open. She was on the ground. The first thought was the worst, but then I could see her breathing,” said witness Mike Marshall.
“Screaming and moaning. You couldn’t understand what she was saying, but she was conscious. She lifted her head a couple of times. She was laying on her stomach,” witness Andrea Cole said.
Officers swarmed an area unaccustomed to gunfire. That’s when a man, believed to be the woman’s accomplice, ran off trying to blend in to the crowd of Mag Mile shoppers.
” [A]ll of a sudden, undercover cops came out of nowhere, grabbed him and threw him up against one of those posts, and then quickly got him in their car,” said Cole.
Police were interviewing the male accomplice Saturday evening. They would not comment on the woman’s condition other that to say that she was hospitalized.
The two officers who responded to the scene initially sustained minor injuries and were also hospitalized Saturday evening for observation.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
Retrial of security guard murder suspect underway www.privateofficer.com
Anthony Johnson’s four-week trial in the slaying of 63-year-old Royce McCain ended in a hung jury in November 2006.
Attorneys will begin choosing jurors for his retrial at 8 a.m. Monday in Circuit Judge Jim Earp’s courtroom at the Moore Justice Center in Viera, court records show.
Prosecutors say Johnson, 24, and his co-defendant, Blaine Barber, went to the college campus the night of May 6, 2004, looking for someone to rob and chose McCain at random.
Johnson has said he was with his girlfriend the night of the killing.
But Barber, who prosecutors say admitted he reached into McCain’s pocket and stole a wallet containing $110, testified during Johnson’s previous trial that Johnson pulled the trigger.
Barber was sentenced in 2007 to 20 years in prison as part of a plea deal that allowed him to escape a life prison sentence had he been convicted at trial and also requires him to testify at Johnson’s retrial.
Johnson faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree felony murder and attempted robbery with a firearm.
Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficer
Join Us At MySpace/privateofficernews
Join The National Association of Private Officers
