Articles Posted in Theft Crimes

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According to reports, two men flagged down a Lyft driver near a nightclub in Oklahoma City early Sunday morning. Instead of requesting a ride using the app, they offered to pay cash, which the driver agreed to if they were going somewhere close by. After getting into the car with a bag of beer, the back seat passenger reportedly handed a handgun to the front passenger, who allegedly pressed it to the driver’s head and threatened him.

The passengers allegedly demanded to be taken to Durant, which was about 150 miles away, and the driver refused. They reportedly made the man continue driving while allegedly threatening him and attempting to access his phone. Eventually, they decided to have him drop them off at another club in Oklahoma City, where they reportedly demanded the driver’s cellphone and $20 in cash before they got out of the car.

The driver reported that he was terrified by the alleged threats they made to harm his family if he reported them, but he called the police from a local 7-Eleven. The authorities quickly found the suspects nearby.

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A woman from Clearwater, Florida, was the alleged victim of a telephone scam that cost her $113,000.

According to reports, a 73-year-old woman recently received a call from a man claiming to be a federal agent. He had an Indian accent, and he reportedly informed her that her bank accounts were under attack. He let her know that transferring her funds to an escrow account was the only way to protect them and said he could help her do that. The victim was allegedly instructed to withdraw $17,760 and convert it to Bitcoin using a QR code provided by the caller.

After the initial transaction, the man reportedly called back and told the woman to withdraw more money in the amount of $46,000. A male came to her home to collect the cash, and when he used a code word they previously agreed upon, she thought he could be trusted. A third transaction allegedly took place, and she handed over another $50,000 in cash to the same person.

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A Florida man is facing multiple charges when he was reportedly caught in a residential backyard after allegedly wandering onto the property and stealing a decorative garden turtle.

Just after midnight on August 2, a resident was asleep in their Southwest Cape Coral home when strange noises on their lanai caused them to wake up. They immediately looked outside to see if they could determine the source of the sounds. While scanning the landscape of their yard, they reportedly noticed what appeared to be a bearded man hanging out in their swimming pool cage.

The homeowner called the authorities and let them know about the purported trespasser, who appeared to have several tattoos, a beard, and was wearing a pair of shorts. Officers from the Cape Coral Police Department rushed to the address to investigate.

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Two men in Southern Florida are facing charges after allegedly using a special device to help them steal over $1,000 worth of diesel gasoline that the authorities believe they were going to resell.

On the morning of July 19, two men in a van pulled into a West Palm Beach Wawa gas station and parked next to one of the diesel fuel pumps. According to reports, the pair were there for at least 20 minutes, and the unusually extended transaction time caught the attention of an asset protection specialist. When they realized the gas had been pumping the entire time, one of the employees at the location and the police were notified.

Officers from the West Palm Beach Police Department went to the location to investigate, and when they arrived, they found that the suspects were still there. They reported that the gasoline smell was strong when they approached the van. The vehicle was searched, and the officers reportedly found a device the men allegedly used to “bypass the circuitry” in the pump so the gas would flow without it registering on the meter. The gadget also appeared to have caused significant damage to the pump.

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An Indiana man was jailed after allegedly trying to walk out of an adult novelty store with a large box containing a spinning dance pole that he reportedly did not pay for.

According to their website, Cirilla’s adult store has been in business since 1992, and their 60+ locations specialize in “spicing up sex lives since 1992 with an impressive collection of lingerie, vibrators, adult toys and romance essentials.”

On July 17, a store located in Muncie experienced an alleged theft attempt. A man reportedly entered the store during the evening shift and went to the section containing the portable dance and fitness poles. After choosing one of the models intended for spinning, he grabbed the box and reportedly headed for the exit.

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A man from the central east coast of Florida was arrested after reportedly keeping out of sight in the bathroom of a drugstore and helping himself to snacks after the business closed for the night.

According to reports, at around 9:45 PM on July 14, a 46-year-old man went into a Walgreens in New Smyrna Beach to use their bathroom. He was permitted to use the facilities, but the man reportedly stayed in the restroom much longer than anyone anticipated.

The store closes at 10:00 PM, and the employees reportedly did not realize the man was still in the bathroom when they left and locked up for the night. He reportedly stayed put for approximately five hours before he walked out of the lavatory. He started perusing the shelves and allegedly helped himself to some snacks while he wandered around the store. According to the authorities, he ate chips, Tostitos dip, and candy, and washed it down with Dr. Pepper.

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A man in Ohio was arrested on felony charges when he was reportedly found with hamsters in his pocket after allegedly breaking into businesses after hours and releasing animals from a pet store.

Three businesses in Columbus were broken into early in the morning on July 9. The surveillance footage at a Roosters restaurant showed someone who appeared to be male entering the eatery around 3:00 am. The alarms were activated, which alerted the higher-ups about the breach. According to reports, the intruder had long hair and was wearing pajamas. Officers from the Columbus Police Department went to the establishment and opened an investigation.

While the authorities were still in the area, they learned that a Petland pet store down the street was also entered by a man wearing pajamas. While the suspect was inside the store, he reportedly freed animals from their habitats and allowed them to go out the door into the wild. When officers went to the location, they reported several types of animals were roaming the parking lot, including two dogs, bunnies, birds, hamsters, and ferrets.

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A Florida woman was arrested after allegedly purchasing a magnet to assist her in stealing from a retail store in the mall by using it to remove security devices from the clothing and merchandise.

Just before midnight on June 27, an officer with the Clearwater Police Department pulled over a moped with a female passenger. When he approached, he identified the passenger as someone with an active arrest warrant from Oklahoma. The officer let the woman know she was being detained, and he noticed she was holding several bags. When he began looking through them, the officer became suspicious when he thought he saw clothing that still had the security tags attached. He looked through the rest of the bags, which also reportedly had locked tags affixed, and allegedly discovered many additional pieces of merchandise that he believed had been stolen. While inspecting the contents of her purse, the officer reportedly found a large magnet.

According to reports, when discussing what was found, the woman told the officer she purchased the magnet on Amazon, and that she was able to use it to take the security tags off items. She allegedly said she took the items she was holding from the Clearwater Mall location of Burlington Coat Factory by simply walking out of the store and planned to use the magnet to take the tags off later.

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A Florida man without permanent residency is facing a felony charge after allegedly trying to rob a Sumter County bank for a penny.

On the afternoon of June 29, a man went into a Chase Bank located in Lady Lake. He reportedly retrieved a withdrawal slip and filled it out with information stating that he wanted to withdraw one cent. When he was finished with the slip, he approached one of the tellers and handed her the paper.

When she read the slip, she let the man know she wouldn’t be able to process the transaction since it was only for a penny. He allegedly responded with, “So you want me to say the other word?” The woman became concerned and alerted the police.

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An Indiana man was arrested and jailed on over a dozen charges after allegedly robbing a fast-food restaurant at gunpoint, stealing a vehicle from the parking lot, leading the police on a chase, and illegally firing a gun.

Early in the morning on June 30, employees at a Taco Bell located in Fishers experienced a scare when a car with three people in it rolled up to the drive-thru window. According to reports, when the trio interacted with the staff, they allegedly ordered them to hand over cash while holding handguns. Before leaving the premises with the money, one of the people in the vehicle reportedly made off with an employee’s Dodge Challenger parked in the lot.

The authorities were notified, and officers from the Fishers Police Department followed up on the report. They searched nearby for the allegedly stolen car, and when they located it, they pulled over the driver. The man stopped the vehicle but reportedly ran off.

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