3 arrested for stealing $800 in merchandise from JCPenney at Capital Mall
Three men in their 20s were arrested over the weekend after they stole about $800 in merchandise from JCPenney at Capital Mall, charging documents show.
All three were arrested on suspicion of second-degree organized retail theft. Two of them also were booked on suspicion of first-degree criminal impersonation and forgery for using fake names during the investigation and booking process.
According to charging documents:
About 2 p.m. Saturday, Olympia police were dispatched to the mall in west Olympia after a report of shoplifting.
A JCPenney loss prevention officer told police that two men stole about $800 in merchandise, then fled from the store to a waiting Toyota Corolla, which nearly struck another vehicle in the parking lot before leaving in the direction of Yauger Park, the charging documents read.
Police eventually stopped the vehicle in the area of Exit 111 and I-5.
The loss prevention officer was called to the scene to identify the suspects.
“There was a 13-year-old who was seated in between (the suspects) in the back seat of the car and the clothes were piled up on his lap as well,” the charging documents read.
The vehicle driver told police he had come to Olympia to “hang out,” but denied any knowledge that the two other men were shoplifting.
The driver said he drove away quickly from JCPenney because he was scared after being confronted by the loss prevention officer.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 7:00 AM with the headline "3 arrested for stealing $800 in merchandise from JCPenney at Capital Mall."
