Tag Archives: thefts

Entertainment

Dwayne Johnson buys every Snickers at Hawaii 7-Eleven to ‘right this wrong’ of candy thefts as 14-year-old

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joked this week he had finally “exorcised this damn chocolate demon” after he returned to the Hawaii 7-Eleven — where he claimed he used to steal a Snickers “every day” as a 14-year-old – and bought out all of the nougat bars. 

The “Black Adam” star explained in an Instagram post that his family was “broke as hell” when he was living on the island and for nearly a year when he was 14, he would swipe a Snickers from the store as his pre-workout snack. 

The actor and former wrester known as “The Rock” said his family was “evicted from Hawaii” in 1987, and he had wanted to return to “right this wrong” for decades.

DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON IS ‘AWARE’ HE MIGHT POTENTIALLY BECOME A BILLIONAIRE 

Dwayne Johnson said as a 14-year-old he used to steal a candy bar every day from his local 7-Eleven.  (Photo by Pablo Cuadra/WireImage / Getty Images)

In a video posted to Instagram, the 50-year-old had a clerk ring up all of the store’s Snickers, leaving them on the counter and telling him to give the Snickers to any customers who look like they’re going to steal one. 

He also tipped the clerk who had the task of counting the dozens of bars. 

WARNING: VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON REFLECTS ON MOVE THAT CATAPULTED HIM TO STARDOM: ‘HELL OF A RISK’ 

Additionally, he paid for all of the customers’ groceries while he was in the 7-Eleven, reaching a bill of $298.

Dwayne Johnson is considered one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.  (Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/WireImage / Getty Images)

He wrote that he realized the deed might seem “silly” to some, but Johnson noted that every time he has returned to Hawaii and gone by the 7-Eleven, he “always knew” that he “needed to go in and clean out every Snickers bar they had – the right way.”

“And as a bonus it was a lot of fun to take care of everybody who walked into 7-11 while I was there. Least I could do considering all the s— I used to steal from here,” he added.

Johnson continued: “We can’t change the past and some of the dumb stuff we may have done, but every once in a while we can add a little redeeming grace note to that situation — and maybe put a big smile on some stranger’s faces.” 

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Business

Rite Aid exec: Impossible to stop NYC store thefts

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A man walks out of a New York City drugstore with a bag full of stolen goods in broad daylight.

Rite Aid reported a very difficult quarter on Thursday when the pharmacy chain reported a much larger-than expected loss, sending shares plunging 28% in the session.

The loss was related to costs connected to its store-closing plan.

Some of those closures affected stores in New York City, where the retailer has been the victim of crime, specifically shoplifting.

Rite Aid’s chief retail officer Andre Persaud addressed the issue on the company’s earnings call Thursday, saying it is just about impossible to stop stealing in New York City shops.

NYC RITE AID TARGETED BY SHOPLIFTERS CLOSES, WITH ANOTHER SET TO CLOSE SOON AFTER

A gate is used to lock items at a pharmacy and convenience store in New York City.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“I think the headline here is the environment that we operate in, particularly in New York City, is not conducive to reducing shrink just based upon everything you read and see on social media and the news in the city” he said. 

Shrink, is a term used by retailers to describe theft.

The drug store chain said front-end gross profit was impacted by a $5 million increase in shrink particularly in urban locations.

A person walks outside of Rite Aid pharmacy in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) (Noam Galai/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Overall, Rite Aid reported a net loss for the quarter of $331.3 million, or $6.07 per share, compared with a net loss of $100.3 million, or $1.86 per share a year earlier.

The loss included a $252.2 million goodwill charge related to its pharmacy-services segment. When taking out one time items, adjusted losses came in at 63 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been expecting an adjusted per-share loss of 50 cents.

RITE AID DENIES CLAIMS THAT NYC STORE CLOSURES LEADING TO JOB LOSS AMID HIGH-PROFILE NYC ROBBERIES

Earlier this year, the chain closed stores in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and another on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

In January, a New York Post reporter spotted a brazen shoplifting incident at the Hell’s Kitchen location, where “store sources” told the outlet people have stolen over $200,000 in store goods over a couple of months. 

Rite Aid President and CEO Heyward Donigan  (Getty / iStock)

At the Upper West Side location, actor and comedian Michael Rapaport said he was at the store in January when he watched a man load two bags full of allegedly stolen goods. Rapaport captured video footage that showed the alleged thief passing a store security guard as he waltzed out the front doors holding the bags of loot.

MICHAEL RAPAPORT RETURNS TO NYC RITE AID WHERE HE FILMED ALLEGED SHOPLIFTER

A Rite Aid spokesperson previously told FOX Business that the stores are closing “for a number of reasons” based on months-long reviews that were carried out “across the full footprint of 2,500 stores.” 

In all, the store closing plan meant the shutting of 63 stores nationwide, roughly 2% of the total number of Rite Aid locations.

Persaud added that the retailer is making progress in thwarting thieves.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
RAD RITE AID CORP. 5.05 -2.00 -28.37%

“Over the last 24 months, the team has done incredible work on improving our product protection, improving our organized retail client program” he noted.

Still, stealing is complicating the inflationary environment as well the retailer warned.

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“We experienced unexpected headwinds this quarter from front-end shrink, particularly in our New York urban stores. Given the current economic environment, we expect to see a cautious consumer in the back half of the year” said CEO Heyward Donigan.

FOX Business’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.

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Technology

Teen arrested with loaded semiautomatic in stolen car cut loose by NYC judge with no bail

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A Massachusetts teenager arrested with a loaded gun while riding in a stolen car was cut loose by a Manhattan judge — despite prosecutors requesting bail over the suspect’s “extensive out of state ties,” The Post has learned.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge John Zhuo Wang let 18-year-old Jaquan Gilliard walk on supervised release at his arraignment Monday on felony charges including second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Gilliard was a passenger in the back of the stolen 2014 Toyota Camry driven by his cousin — which the pair planned to take from Massachusetts to South Carolina — when they were busted Sunday on West 101st Street and Columbus Avenue, according to the criminal complaint against him.

A black semi-automatic pistol was found under the backseat floorboard, and Gilliard later allegedly admitted the weapon was his, prosecutors said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said that though it was the teen’s first arrest, prosecutors requested $20,000 bail, citing the nature of the crime and arguing the accused’s out-of-state ties made it unlikely he’d return to court “on his own.”

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge John Zhuo Wang let 18-year-old Jaquan Gilliard walk on supervised release.
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But Wang rejected that request, granting Gilliard supervised release until his next court date on September 2, a DA spokesperson confirmed. Attorney information wasn’t immediately available for Gilliard.

One police officer with two decades on the job bashed Wang’s decision, dubbing him, “Judge Letemgo.”

“You really think he’s going to come back to New York for his gun case?” the cop said.

Bragg’s office requested $20,000 bail due to Gilliard’s out-of-state status.
Steven Hirsch

Gilliard’s cousin, 24-year-old Harold Milton, was arraigned separately Tuesday under a different criminal court judge, who set $3,500 bail or $7,500 bond, the DA’s office said.

That was still well below the $25,000 bail prosecutors requested during the hearing before Judge Soma Syed.

A spokesman for the Office of Court Administration said that although many factors go into a judge’s decision, under New York state laws, “bail is solely meant to ensure the defendant’s return to court. Nothing else.”

“Our criminal justice reform laws predispose against pretrial incarceration and give the arraigning judge narrow discretion, even on violent felony offences, while requiring them to consider both the least restrictive form of pretrial detention and if a monetary amount is set – that it be within the defendant’s ability to meet it,” Lucian Chalfen said in a statement.

Gilliard and Milton, who is also due back in court September 2, are each facing charges of criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property.

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US

Looters caught stealing from ravaged homes of Kentucky tornado victims

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Five heartless thieves were busted for looting the ravaged homes of tornado victims in Kentucky, officials said.

The group of looters allegedly went to an area “particularly hit hard by the tornado” on Friday and ransacked the destroyed homes, according to Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden.

Law enforcement officers from several agencies quickly converged on the group who were stopped while trying to flee the area with several damaged vehicles in tow.

The vehicles “were owned by tornado victims that have been displaced by the tornado, in the hospital, and/or deceased,” Hayden said.

When confronted by officers, group members gave contradicting stories with some claiming they had received permission to be there, which deputies disproved after contacting the homeowners.

In addition to the cars and other household goods, two of the suspects were found in possession of methamphetamines.

Ronnie Dale White was charged with theft by unlawful taking of automobiles.
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Lynne E. Bailey was charged with theft by unlawful taking automobiles.
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Kaitlyn Moore, 29, was found with methamphetamine hidden in her body cavity, which she told police was hidden when the group was stopped. She was charged with automobile theft, possession of methamphetamine and tampering with evidence. No home address was disclosed by officials.

Linda Morris, 52, of Dresden, Tennessee was found with syringes containing methamphetamine in the vehicle she was operating and in her purse. She was also found in possession of copper wiring and a brand new pair of women’s Ugg boots that were stolen from a storm victim’s home. She was charged with automobile theft, theft of personal property, possession of methamphetamine and driving with a suspended license.

Kevin Stowe, 55, of Union City, Tennessee, was found with over $120,000 in his possession and was charged with theft of an automobile and theft of a motor vehicle registration plate.

Ronnie White, 57, and Lynne Bailey, 56, both of Hickman, Kentucky, were both charged with unlawful taking of automobiles.

Kevin Stowe was charged with theft of automobile.
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Five people were arrested after looting from homes in Kentucky ravaged by the tornado.
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In addition to stolen goods, two of the suspects were found in possession with methamphetamine.
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It wasn’t the first time looters struck the home of victims from the recent twisters.

On Friday, four men from Michigan were arrested in nearby Princeton for also attempting to steal storm-damaged vehicles from victims’ homes.

In response to the arrests, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron warned that “Looting and theft will not be tolerated.”

“Our office has spoken with Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden and Commonwealth’s Attorney Richie Kemp, and the full force of the law will be brought against anyone who tries to take advantage of Kentuckians,” the AG said in a statement.

In total, 78 Kentuckians were killed in the devastating tornado the tore across the region on Dec. 10 and 11. On Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed that all missing persons had been accounted for.

In total, at least 92 have been confirmed dead across several states.



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US

14 people arrested for group thefts at high-end Los Angeles stores

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Groups working in tandem stole property “using weapons and physical force to overwhelm and intimidate store employees and other patrons” in 11 instances from November 18-28, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced in a press conference Thursday.

Among these incidents were four robberies, six burglaries and one grand theft, said Moore, who linked them to a series of what he described as smash-and grab thefts in the state and across the country.

Not all the recent group thefts have targeted high-end stores either, as there have also been similar crimes perpetrated against pharmacies and cannabis dispensaries.

Group robberies last month in California, Illinois and Minnesota have led to state and local law enforcement committing more resources toward combating organized theft.

“These crimes were characterized with multiple suspects working together and coordinate instances involving destruction of property, assault on store employees, and caravans of vehicles parking very close to high-end retail stores,” said Moore.

All 14 suspects in the Los Angeles crimes are out of custody, Moore said. Some suspects are still outstanding.

The amount of property that was stolen is worth about $338,000 and more than $40,000 in property damage, according to Moore, who said the stolen items are likely being resold at a discounted price.

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US

Smash-and-grab thefts at L.A. Nordstrom trigger police chase

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A group of alleged thieves broke into a Nordstrom store at a popular Los Angeles shopping center in an apparent smash-and-grab spree and fled the scene, triggering a police car chase, officials said.

A call came in at 10:40 p.m. PT about suspects breaking into a store at The Grove shopping center, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mike Lopez said Monday evening. Initially it was unknown if anything was stolen. 

Suspects smashed a store window using a sledgehammer and merchandise was found littered outside, KNBC reported.

Los Angeles police said an unknown number of suspects fled in an SUV and a pursuit was initiated by Wilshire officers in the area.

The chase ended at 98th Street and Hoover Street in South Los Angeles. The driver of the car stopped in a residential area and took off running, according to KNBC.

Three suspects were taken into custody, police said Tuesday morning.

Initially it appeared that no other stores were damaged or affected in the incident. No injuries were reported in the incident, KNBC reported. 

It’s unclear how many suspects were involved and how much merchandise was stolen.

Noting recent headlines, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was ordering the California Highway Patrol to increase its presence at major shopping destinations. He also proposed increased spending on measures to combat shoplifting.

“The level of organized retail theft we are seeing is simply unacceptable,” Newsom said in a statement Monday night. “Businesses and customers should feel safe while doing their holiday shopping.” 

On Saturday night about 80 suspects descended on a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, California, local police said.

An employee was pepper sprayed, and two others were punched and kicked, a police spokesperson said. Suspects were in and out of the store within a minute, police said. Officials didn’t specify the estimated value of the items that were stolen. Walnut Creek police said three people were arrested in connection with Saturday night’s incident.

Similarly, 14 suspects were caught on surveillance footage storming into a Louis Vuitton store at the Oakbrook Center mall in Oak Brook, Illinois, on Wednesday and escaped in three getaway vehicles, Oak Brook police said. 

Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Dennis Romero contributed.



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Business

Rite Aid worker killed in Los Angeles during heroic attempt to stop shoplifting gunman

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An employee at a Los Angeles Rite Aid was killed Wednesday while attempting to stop a shoplifter from leaving the store, police said, as a series of brazen retail thefts have gone viral in recent months across the country. 

The employee, identified by the Los Angeles Police Department as a man in his 20s, confronted the gunman and another suspect around 8:45 p.m. at a Rite Aid location in the Glassell Park neighborhood. 

The suspects were trying to exit the store with stolen items at the time and one of them opened fire, the LAPD told Fox News. 

The employee died at the scene and the suspects fled on foot, police said. No arrests have been made. The LAPD did not have a description of the suspects Friday. A police spokesman did not know if the store had a security guard present Wednesday night. 

Calls to the store location went unanswered and Fox News has reached out to Rite Aid’s corporate office but has not heard back. 

The deadly attack comes amid a series of brazen retail thefts across the nation that have left retailers, particularly pharmacies and drug stores, on edge. 

San Francisco officials said this week that robberies were down despite footage of daytime thefts. In one video, a suspect is seen filling a garbage bag full of items inside a Walgreens as he was being recorded by customers and store staff. The suspected thief, identified by police as Jean Lugo-Romero, 40, fled on a bicycle he rode inside the store and was eventually arrested. 

In another robbery caught on video at a Nieman Marcus in the city’s Union Square, 10 people went in, snatched designer purses, and ran out to waiting cars.

“Those videos are not just going viral in San Francisco, they’re going viral all over the world,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed told reporters during a news briefing to announce the mid-year crime figures earlier this week. “But what’s not going viral… is the fact that in almost every single instance our police department have arrested many of the people in these particular crimes.”

A CVS official previously told Fox News it has closed at least two stores in the city, saying 85% of its losses in San Francisco were the result of “professional crime.”

In December the National Retail Federation (NRF) said Los Angeles was the top spot for organized retail crime, followed by Chicago and Miami. San Francisco placed fifth. 

CVS and Walgreens employees in San Francisco are trained to be alert for retail theft but are warned not to confront suspected shoplifters. Security guards in retail chains have been attacked and some stores have opted to hire off-duty police officers. 

Retailers have cited several reasons for an increase in organized retail thefts, including lax law enforcement guidelines and changes to penalties for shoplifting. 

“Retailers are investing millions to fight these crimes, but they need more help from law enforcement and, most of all, they need tougher laws that recognize the difference between petty shoplifting and professional crime for profit,” Mark Mathews, NRF Vice President for Research Development and Industry Analysis, said last year.

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Business

Target, Walgreens make drastic changes due to increase in San Francisco thefts

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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — According to the California Retailer’s Association three cities in our state are among the top 10 in the country when it comes to organized retail crime–Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.

Already we are seeing the negative impact it is having in San Francisco with stores permanently shutting down or closing early. It has become one of the most pressing issues in our city today.

RELATED: Bay Area police chief says rise in assault rifles, ghost guns used to ‘hunt and kill’ people

Target has now acknowledged that San Francisco is the only city in America where they have decided to close some stores early because of the escalating retail crime.

For more than a month, we’ve been experiencing a significant and alarming rise in theft and security incidents at our San Francisco Stores, similar to reports from other retailers in the area.

Target isn’t the only store in San Francisco to make changes because of the continuous shoplifting. After 10 p.m. the 7-Eleven on Drumm St. in the Financial District only does business through a metal door. But first you have to ring the bell to let them know you’re outside.

“This window was installed like two to three months ago because it was not safe. Sometimes they would break that glass of the door,” explained Manager Bobby Singh.

VIDEO: Suspect from viral SF Walgreens heist video to face 15 charges, San Francisco DA says

Walgreens has already closed several stores for the same reason and security guards like Kevin Greathouse are told not to physically engage with those shoplifting.

“It’s going to be lawsuits, obviously they don’t want ourselves or anybody else to get injured while we’re out here attempting to make these apprehensions and leave it to law enforcement,” said Greathouse.

He carries with him a handgun, a taser and pepper spray, but thankfully he’s never had to use them. On the other hand, he says people shoplifting have, at times, threatened him with a knife.

“I don’t have any intention of getting stabbed for $60 worth of stuff,” he added.

RELATED: SF Walgreens stores average 4x more thefts than rest of country, company says

Most of them never get caught. The man shown on cell phone video allegedly shoplifting and leaving with a bag full of goods on a bike has been arrested.

“The question is will this person be held accountable for what they did and that need to be part of the equation as well,” insisted San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

That’s where San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai has stepped in. He’s asked both the police department and the District Attorney’s office to come up with a coordinated plan to reduce the organized retail crime and find out why San Francisco is apparently targeted more than anywhere else.

“These are people who are recruited, organized and are reselling these good and San Francisco is hurting for it,” said Safai.

He’s given police and the DA’s office a week to come up with an answer.

Copyright © 2021 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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World

Whodunnit grips tiny Italian island after dozens of thefts | World news

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Dozens of meticulously planned thefts on a remote island; all the inhabitants are potential suspects. In an investigation that would befit Agatha Christie’s sleuth, Hercule Poirot, the three police officers on Capraia, an island off Tuscany, must tread carefully as they hunt for the culprits among the population of about 400.

The island’s mayor, Marida Bessi, told the newspaper Corriere della Sera that cracks were already starting to show in the otherwise close-knit community, with friends and neighbours eyeing each other suspiciously.

Most of the robberies, of homes and shops, have taken place during the winter, when visitors are absent from the island, which lies closer to Corsica than it does to mainland Italy and is only accessible by boat, weather permitting. In the most recent incident the thieves deactivated the CCTV camera in a tobacco shop before taking €60,000 (£52,000) from the safe.

They also broke into the home of the deputy mayor, Fabio Mazzei, in November and made off with a safe containing cash and jewellery that had been hidden in some furniture. “It is a very sad thing because there is the feeling of having a thief in the family,” Mazzei told the newspaper. “They struck on the right day, as they knew I was going to Pisa for a visit. They knew the house very well.”

Most of the inhabitants keep their money at home, as the island’s only bank closed last year. That the CCTV camera in the square is broken is proving to be another stumbling block in the investigation.

The inquiry has so far yielded many theories but no clues, Bessi said. “The island’s three police officers are very good, they are doing everything they possibly can,” she told Corriere. “But they should have more investigative tools as otherwise it really is an unsolvable crime story.”

Two-thirds of the 19 sq km island was occupied by a penal colony until 1986, and inhabitants had lived peacefully until the recent thefts. The population swells to about 4,000 during the summer.

“The risk now is that the sense of community we have always had will be damaged,” Bessi said.

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Business

Texas doctor charged with stealing COVID-19 vaccine doses

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A Texas doctor has been charged with stealing nine doses of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine while working at a county vaccination site, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Dr. Hasan Gokal, who worked with the Harris County Public Health system, is accused of stealing a vial that contained the doses from a vaccination site in Humble on Dec. 29, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement.

A week later, Gokal bragged about the theft to a co-worker, who then complained to his supervisors, Ogg said.

Gokal was later fired from his job.

Ogg said Gokal stole the doses to give them to his family and friends, leaving those who need a shot the most without one.

“He abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there,” Ogg said of Gokal. “What he did was illegal and he’ll be held accountable under the law.”

Lawyer Paul Doyle defended his client arguing the vaccine would have expired anyway.

“Dr. Gokal is a dedicated public servant who ensured that COVID-19 vaccine dosages that would have otherwise expired went into the arms of people who met the criteria for receiving it,” Doyle said in a statement to KHOU11.

“Harris County would have preferred Dr. Gokal let the vaccines go to waste and are attempting to disparage this man’s reputation in the process to support this policy. We look forward to our day in court to right this wrong,” the lawyer continued.

Gokal faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

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