Two arrested in robbery caught on video [Viral Video]
A teenage boy and a 28-year-old man have been arrested in connection with last month’s brazen robbery of a Norridge , Illinois, AT&T store that was recorded on an employee’s cellphone, authorities said. Sharn Green Jr., 28, of the 1100 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, was indicted Wednesday by a Cook County grand jury for the April 28 armed robbery of the Norridge Commons AT&T store, Norridge police said. His alleged accomplice, a 17-year-old boy who has not been identified by authorities due to his age, is in Cook County juvenile detention custody, facing a possible armed robbery charge as a minor, police said. Norridge Police Sgt. Brian Loughran said Green was identified as the man standing in the doorway of the store with a knife in his hand while the 17-year-old cut and stole seven smartphones, valued at more than $6,000, from a display while an employee recorded the incident. Two of the witnesses postivitely identified the teen in a photo lineup.
Norridge Detective Charles Tortorello said investigators connected Green to the robbery after three witnesses picked him out of a photo lineup. A car registered to Green had been spotted at the scene of a similar robbery in Chicago, Tortorello added. Green and the 17-year-old were taken into custody May 10 after they allegedly stole six smartphones from an AT&T store in west suburban Batavia, Norridge and Batavia police said. According to a news release from Batavia police, Green and the teenager fled the store and were seen traveling on eastbound Interstate 88 at more than 105 mph. About an hour later, the two were taken into custody by Lisle police after they were located in a wooded area and identified as the suspects in the Batavia theft, police said. While in police custody, the 17-year-old made an admission that he and Green had committed the robbery at the Norridge AT&T store, Tortorello said. Green did not make any admissions to police, he said.
Detectives are looking for a third, as yet unknown suspect who was seen inside the store prior to the robbery, Loughran said. “We believe he was the getaway driver,” he said. The initial report released by the Norridge Police Department indicated that three men were seen walking in and out of the store prior to the robbery. According to the report, several employees and customers, including children, were inside the store at the time. Green remained in Kane County Jail custody this week, Norridge police said. [Source: Chicago Tribune]
Employee faces charges in lottery ticket theft
A former employee of a discount retailer has been charged in the theft of lottery tickets. Former Walmart employee Cathy Marshell Jones, 47, was arrested on May 11 by Greenville Police after her managers alleged she had been stealing scratch-off lottery tickets and cashing them in since December. Jones was charged with larceny by employee and for obtaining property by false pretense. The value of the tickets is $2,500. [Source: Reflector.com]
Suspect pleads guilty to shoplifting attempt turned felony robbery
A shoplifter who threatened an Arkansas Walmart employee with a pellet gun last year pleaded guilty to a felony robbery charge Monday in Garland County Circuit Court. Andrew Rodney Hetherington, 32, who has remained in custody since his arrest Dec. 6, 2017, was originally charged with aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison, and set to stand trial Aug. 16. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery and was sentenced to 10 years’ supervised probation, fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $420 in court costs. According to the affidavit, on Dec. 6, around 5 p.m., Hot Springs police were dispatched to Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, to a reported robbery and spoke to an employee who said about 15 minutes earlier he had seen a white male, later identified as Hetherington, selecting several items of merchandise and concealing them in his pants.
When Hetherington attempted to leave without paying, the employee confronted him and tried to detain him at the exit door. As he began speaking to him, Hetherington attempted to flee and began to resist and during the struggle his shirt came off exposing a black handgun tucked in the front of his pants. Hetherington told the employee he had a gun and would use it and pointed to the gun in his waistband. He then fled the store but was located moments later by Officer Justin Bradbury in the parking lot. Bradbury noted Hetherington was shirtless and kept reaching for his waistband. A handgun then fell down his pants into his pants leg where it was recovered and found to be a pellet gun “the average person would believe to be an actual firearm,” the affidavit states.
When questioned later, Hetherington stated he was shopping at Walmart and had purchased a yellow bandanna and a soda, but had also selected a Batman hat but forgot to pay for it at the self-checkout. He said he was stopped by an employee and a scuffle ensued during which he lost his jacket and shirt. He admitted to being in possession of a pellet gun and that he didn’t have a receipt for the merchandise he had. [Source: The Sentinel-Record]
Baby stroller gets customer kicked out of beauty store
The decision to ask a local mother and her baby to leave an Ulta Beauty is confusing quite a lot of Charlotte area moms in North Carolina. “That doesn’t make any sense. At all,” one parent said. The family said the incident happened Tuesday at Charlotte’s Waverly location. An associate told the mother her stroller was against the store’s loss prevention policy, according to the mother’s family. “I mean that’s just insane. You’ve got to have a place to put your child and carry all your stuff,” one mother reacted. “That’s unacceptable. I don’t understand why any store would not allow a mother with a stroller,” said another.
Across the country, surveillance videos have shown shoplifters going into stores with strollers and using them to steal hundreds worth of merchandise. Shoplifting cost retailers $50 billion in 2016, according to Money Magazine. However, Ulta Beauty said banning strollers is not consistent with its corporate policy. The company sent NBC Charlotte the following statement: “We hate to think anything like this could’ve happened in our store. We identified the guest and have reached out in hopes of understanding her experience as it is not consistent with how we operate. In the meantime, we want her and every guest to know that they are always welcome in our stores with children. As well as anything necessary to accommodate them including strollers. Beauty is part of our name and is there anything more beautiful than babies? The smiles of our tiniest guests make Ulta Beauty a more beautiful place and they can visit our stores absolutely anytime.” Parents say that’s good to know because if a store banned strollers, they wouldn’t be shopping there. “I would have to pay attention to my child who is in my arms,” said a mother. “Then, I couldn’t pick up any of the products and test them so I’d probably not buy anything. It would be counterproductive.” At this time, it’s unclear if any disciplinary action will be taken against that store associate. [Source: WCNC News]
7-Eleven USA tests self-chilling canned drinks
The convenience chain has rolled out its proprietary Fizzics Sparkling Cold Brew Coffee in the self-chilling cans. The Chill-Can has been developed by The Joseph Company International Inc., the special cans filled with Fizzics coffee are being tested at 15 Los Angeles-area 7-Eleven stores, Convenience.org reported. The Fizzics Coffee beverages are available in Regular, French Vanilla and Caramel.
The cans are purchased at an ambient temperature and chilled when ready to consume. When the cans have activated the technology within uses CO2 and the can and beverage are automatically chilled. To chill, the can is placed on a flat surface, turned upside down and the base turned to activate the technology. The process takes between 75 and 90 seconds, Convenience.org reported. 7-Eleven director of private brands Tim Cogil said: “Because the self-chilling can technology is so groundbreaking, we wanted to introduce it with a super innovative beverage.” “Sparkling coffee sodas met all the criteria,” Mr Cogil said. “Previously available in some coffee shops, a handful of exclusive canned carbonated brews began showing up last summer. “Fizzics will be the first that can be chilled on demand, bringing a new level of convenience to customers who want to enjoy a chilled drink whenever and wherever they are.” [Source: Convenience & Impulse Retailing]
Scammers targeting credit card chips
The more technology we use in our everyday lives, the more crooks are out to scam us for everything we’re worth. A new scam called “shimming” targets information from the chips on credit cards used for purchases, according to WTVT. The information is stolen after a device called a shim, which contains a microchip and flash storage, is placed inside a businesses’ data reader. Once inside, the shim steals the credit card information and saves it. The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about the new scam. “If you insert the card and it’s very tight that could be a sign report it to the merchant,” the organization’s Bryan Oglesby said. [Source: ABC10 Local News]
