Man steals from Target, runs into Lacey police waiting outside
A 37-year-old Federal Way man was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes Saturday afternoon when he emerged from the Lacey Target store with a shopping cart full of stolen merchandise, police posted on social media.
When the man exited the store about 3:45 p.m., he ran into Lacey police, who were already there to investigate a stolen vehicle in the parking lot.
According to police, once he saw them, he ran but was detained, then he told police he had a problem: He had just ingested fentanyl.
The man was taken to a hospital where police learned his identity and that he was wanted on an outstanding warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle and should have been wearing an electronic home monitoring device on his ankle, but had cut it off.
Police searched the stolen vehicle and found merchandise that had been taken from the Target store in west Olympia. In all, they recovered more than $2,000 in merchandise that was returned to the stores.
Once the man was medically cleared by the hospital, he was booked on suspicion of felony theft and possession of a stolen vehicle.
This story was originally published March 28, 2023 at 9:58 AM.
