Blotter: Retail Thefts, Stolen Purse All On Same Day

BROOMALL–On Dec. 21 at approximately 2:25 p.m., Marple police responded to the T.J. Maxx in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center for a reported retail theft. Police spoke with the store’s loss prevention officer who stated she observed a woman enter the store–who had stolen from the store in the past but was never caught–and select a pair of boots off of the shelves and place them in her bag. The woman then selected a pair of shoes off the shelf and carry them to the front of the store, according to the report. The woman set the shoes down on a display by the front door and walked out with the boots, according to the report. The boots were valued at $99.99. The store officer and manager confronted the woman and her friend in the parking lot. The store officer attempted to get the boots back but the woman pushed the store officer away and jumped into her vehicle. According to the report, the woman sped off recklessly, almost striking the store officer. 

Man Steals Videogames, Movies From Walmart 

On Dec. 21 at approximately 2:54 p.m., police responded to Walmart in the Marple Crossroads Shopping Center for a reported retail theft. Upon arrival, police spoke with the loss prevention officer who stated she observed a man selecting merchandise from the electronics department and placing items into his bag. According to the report, the store officer then observed the man pass the store register and exited the store without paying for the merchandise. The store officer was able to stop the man. The total value of stolen merchandise was $157.18. The man admitted to stealing the selected games and movies because he had no money and just lost his job, according to the report. Police arrested the man and he was cited for retail theft. 

Nook Tablet Stolen From Display Stand

On Dec. 21 at approximately 5:35 p.m., police responded to the Barnes & Noble Bookstore located in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center for a reported retail theft. Upon arrival, police spoke to the store manager who reported that sometime between 4 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., someone had removed a Nook tablet from the display stand. The store manager also discovered that a second Nook tablet had been damaged when someone had attempted to cut through the case to remove it form the display stand. The stolen Nook HD+ 16GB tablet is valued at $269.

Purse Stolen From Unlocked Vehicle in Front of Preschool 

On Dec. 21 at approximately 7:40 p.m., police received a report from a woman about a stolen purse. According to the report, the woman told police she arrived at Chesterbrook Academy at approximately 5:30 p.m. to pick up her child. The woman parked her vehicle in a space near the front door and went inside for about 10 minutes, according to the report. The woman had left her vehicle unlocked and had her purse on the floor of the front passenger side. The purse was valued at approximately $15. The woman did not realize the purse was missing until she went for her wallet about an hour later and began to immediately cancel all her credit cards. According to the report, four credit cards, one debit card, a checkbook and a spare key for her vehicle were inside her purse.

$430 Worth of Items Stolen From Old Navy, Marijuana Discovered 

On Dec. 21 at approximately 10:35 p.m., police responded to the Old Navy located in the Marple Crossroads Shopping Center for a reported retail theft. Upon arrival, police spoke with the store’s loss prevention officer who stated that she observed three women concealing items from the store. The store officer was able to stop the women and detain them in the loss prevention office. While checking bags, jackets and purses for more stolen items, police discovered a small bag of green leafy matter which appeared to be marijuana, according to the report. The total value of items stolen among the three women was $428.50. The three women were arrested and transported to the police station where they were processed for court. According to the report, the green leafy matter was tested and proved positive for marijuana.