Grocery store robber gets 13 years behind bars
A Roanoke, Virginia, man who robbed a Food Lion grocery store was sentenced to 13 years in prison Wednesday. Aaron Dashaun Petty, 38, flashed what turned out to be a BB gun last year when a loss prevention associate confronted him in the parking lot about shoplifting steaks and body wash from the store on Hollins Road, according to events described in court.
During his sentencing hearing in Roanoke County Circuit Court, he apologized and said he’d been in the grips of an addiction that propelled him to steal to get money for drugs. It hadn’t been his intent to scare or threaten anyone, he said. “It wasn’t right either way,” he said. “I had no business being in there.”
Judge Charlie Dorsey agreed he saw no real reason to introduce the gun into the situation other than to create an element of fear. That puts the case in a “completely different dimension,” he concluded. He sentenced Petty to a total of 20 years, with seven suspended, leaving an active sentence of 13 years. [Source: Roanoke.com]
‘Two Grinches’ wanted for stealing Salvation Army kettle
Police are looking for two thieves who used bolt cutters to steal a Salvation Army kettle outside a grocery store in Blaine, Minnesota, a bold theft caught on camera. “It’s great to be able to do some service for the community,” said Wally Wysopal, Salvation Army bell ringer. During a time of year that’s supposed to be about giving, a pair of thieves decided to take from those less fortunate. “I think that’s just terrible, but we can’t let that ruin our Christmas spirit,” said Wysopal.
According to police, they were armed with bolt cutters and committed the crime in broad daylight in front of the busy store. They then took off in a gray or silver Chevy Trailblazer. “Right away, the term that came to mind when it was reported was, ‘we have a Grinch out there… two Grinches out there.’ That someone would do this, really the principle of it too, regardless of how much was in the kettle at the time, why would someone do this to people? It’s just disappointing,” said Chief Brian Podany, Blaine Police Department. [Source: Fox6 Now]
Augmented reality is selling Christmas trees
Target is selling Christmas trees at twice the normal rate thanks to its augmented reality shopping tool. Its new shopping app feature, “See It in Your Space,” allows customers to virtually place an artificial tree or other decor items in their living room, Senior Vice President of Digital Dawn Block said in an interview, according to Bloomberg.
The offering comes as Target is trying to take on Amazon during the holiday season. Target is offering free two-day shipping without a minimum order between November 1 and December 22, with Target CEO Brian Cornell saying, “I have never felt better about our position and our readiness to deliver against the holiday season. As those [Toys R Us and Sears] stores close, it’s real market share that’s up for grabs.” In addition, the retailer expanded curbside pickup to two new markets, California and Colorado. The retailer is already seeing a 10 percent rise in orders with the new service. [Source: PYMNTS]
Police officer colludes with employee in theft scheme
A 30-year-old Union County New Jersey sheriff’s officer conspired with a Home Depot employee to steal more than $5,000 in home remodeling materials from a store in Linden, authorities said Friday. Jose Beltran, of Elizabeth, and the worker, Polly Linton, 23, of Linden, are each charged with theft and conspiracy to commit theft, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
Beltran went to the Home Depot on Routes 1 & 9 in Linden at least three times in August and September, bringing a total of $5,156 in flooring materials, tools, and other merchandise to Linton’s cash register, authorities said. The two then used “various fraud tactics” to allow Beltran leave the store with the goods without paying, officials said. Beltran was off-duty when the alleged thefts took place. He was issued summonses and is due on December 21 to answer the charges. [Source: NJ.com]
Employee charged with $12,500 theft
A woman in Putnam, Connecticut, has been charged after allegedly stealing thousands from the store where she worked. According to officials, in November, troopers began an investigation into the theft of cash and checks at the Putnam Runnings store on Providence Pike. Police learned that more than $12,500 was taken over multiple weeks. Following an investigation, units said that 30-year-old Cathlynn Frazier was keeping the store’s daily earned money and not depositing it. [Source: WTNH8 News]
Counterfeit products are cheap; They may also be dangerous [InfoGraphic]
Any consumer who shops online has probably come across goods that look like the real thing with a price that seems too good to be true, which is probably because it is. Each year, the U.S. is flooded with millions of counterfeit products, everything from jewelry to clothing to electronics. A lot of the products come from the Far East, but millions of dollars of seized counterfeit items have also originated from Canada.
It’s one thing to show off a counterfeit Rolex watch or Gucci bag to your friends that you bought online for $50, but what happens when you buy a counterfeit item that poses a threat to your safety? An investigative reporter, Adrianna Iwasinski, looks at one company who put a counterfeit product up against the real deal, and the shocking results of the safety test when the two went head-to-head. [Source: Click Orlando]