Suspected Thief Uses Pepper Spray to Evade Capture

by April Charlton , July 9, 2013

SANTA MARIA – A man suspected of stealing from Wal-Mart South Bradley Road last week is being sought by police after allegedly using pepper spray to incapacitate store employees, police said.

Suspect in theft, assault

When the two Wal-Mart loss prevention officers attempted to stop the suspected shoplifter around 6 p.m. Friday, July 5, he became aggressive and pepper sprayed the employees, immobilizing the pair.

By deploying the pepper spray, the suspect was able to evade efforts by the loss prevention officers to stop him from leaving the store, and he fled the area, police said.

The suspect is described as a white male 20 to 30 years old, between 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches and 150 to 170 pounds. He reportedly arrived at the Wal-Mart in a gold 1995 to 1998 Acura TL.

Anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Santa Maria Police Department at (805) 928-3781. Anonymous tips can also be made by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-877-800-9100.

Santa Maria Times: Suspected Store Thief Sought

Suspected Thief Uses Pepper Spray to Evade Capture was last modified: January 14th, 2019 by admin

Categories: Santa Barbara

Tags: theft

About Author

April Charlton

April Charlton is a freelance journalist who specializes in criminal and local government matters. She has more than 11-plus years of experience as a reporter, covering everything from cops and courts to city and county governments. She writes for CrimeVoice and several newspapers on the Central Coast, including the Santa Maria Times, a daily publication, and its sister papers, Times Press Recorder and The Adobe Press. She may be reached at really_dawn@yahoo.com for any comments or suggestions that you may have.