Canton Police Arrest Man on Shoplifting Charges

Canton Police responded Jan. 23 to Walmart, 39500 Ford Road, for a report of a man in the store’s custody accused of shoplifting, according to a police report.

The store’s loss prevention officer told police he saw a man in the electronics section select several DVDs and a portable Bluetooth speaker with apparently no regard to the prices of the items, the report indicated. The employee told police he followed the man through the store and saw him select several more items, including tablecloths, cables and groceries, the report indicated.

The employee told police he saw observed the man heading into the sporting goods department, where he saw the man conceal the DVDs, speaker and cables in a satchel he had slung over his shoulder, according to the police report. The employee told police he saw the man then pay for the groceries and one DVD without offering payment for the items in his bag, the report indicated.

The employee told police he stopped the man as he tried exiting the store and took the man into custody, the report indicated. The man told police he had never stolen before and will not do it again and told police he was a graduate student who was told by a friend of a quick way to make money, the report indicated. He told police he planned to steal several items from Walmart in order to resell them in the future for a profit, according to the report.

Police arrested the man on charges of third-degree retail fraud and given a Feb. 6 court date. The man posted $300 cash bond.