Omaha police arrested seven people for shoplifting in about a four-hour time span Monday. Detectives said several suspects targeted the same stores at different times, in separate cases. Lieutenant Charles Casey with OPD’s burglary unit said he credits quick thinking by store employees and better communication in helping catch the suspects quickly.
“We see that as positive, that we’re identifying the right people who are stealing, we’re getting them in custody, and sending them to court to be held responsible for their actions,” Casey said.
Two suspects allegedly stole from the same Target at 72nd and Dodge streets. Detectives said store employees saw Annilee Gentry, 37, come into the store at around 4:30PM. Around two hours later, staff reportedly stopped Aniyah William-Smith, 18.
Less than an hour earlier, Omaha police said Angela Lilland, 27, and Kody Johnson, 21, tried to walk out of the Walmart on 50th Street and Ames Avenue with several items in hand without paying for them. Detectives said store staff flagged-down the suspects before police arrested the pair. Later, officers said they found Johnson was hiding a knife.
“[The stores] do have good teams of personnel. They know what to look for. They, again, are stores that routinely communicate with us. They do a good job, so it’s not surprising that they’re identifying what’s going on,” Casey said. Omaha police also arrested… KETV7 News