Thief takes Lowe’s display merchandise in early morning robbery
40-year-old Steven Allen was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property from a Lowe’s store in Merced on July 12th. At 5:06 AM, a witness reported a truck speeding away from the Lowe’s store on 1750 West Olive Avenue with insulation in its bed. A deputy located Allen’s vehicle in the Beachwood area based on a description given by the witness.
Steven Allen claims the merchandise on his truck was not stolen by him
Once Allen was apprehended, officers were able to recover the insulation as well as other stolen property, including lawn mowers, landscaping bricks, and palm trees. According to Lt. Tom Trindad of the Merced PD, all of the items were stolen from the outdoor displays in front of Lowe’s as there were no signs of forced entry within the store.
After Allen’s arrest, he denied stealing the property himself, instead insisting that he had received the property secondhand. Lt. Trindad confirmed that authorities weren’t able to find sufficient evidence to connect Allen to the actual burglary. Allen is currently being charged for possession of stolen property and violating his probation.
Police are asking if anyone has additional information or is a witness, to contact Detective Rodriguez at 209-385-4710, or the Merced PD tipster line at 209-385-4725. Anonymous text messages can also be sent to TIP411 and include the word ComVIP as the keyword in the text.
