TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — How in the world can you shoplift a refrigerator? Tucson Police say they busted a man who took big—-and big ticket—items like that and much more.
Usually when you think of a shoplifter you think of someone who’d take a small, high value item, slip it into a pocket and slip away. But Tucson Police say they busted a guy who was thinking big, really big. He’d go to Big Box stores like Home Depot or Lowes and walk out with things as big as a refrigerator. That’s right, a refrigerator.
Tucson Police say starting in February, 48 year old Mario Berjerano made about a hundred trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s, cruised the aisles and picked out all sorts of large items.
Once police arrested him they say they found loads of stolen building materials, power tools, a toilet and yes, a refrigerator.
How do you shoplift something that might be six feet tall and three or four hundred pounds?
Detective Jonathan Austad says you roll it out the door and wave a receipt that’s really for something else.
“We would just see him make a small purchase of something like a soda or a candy bar or something like that. He would load up an item or two or many, and then walk right out of the store and flash a receipt.”
Police say once they got a search warrant they saw he built some stolen items into his house, including a complete shower enclosure.
Police say rather than risk a confrontation where store staff could be hurt, a lot of stores let thieves walk out and try to catch them later.
Tucson Police are assigning special details to catch retail thieves including the bosses who tell thieves what to steal then sell that they take.
Police say the usual items are a little more portable than the ones in this case.
“The popular ones right now and the trending ones are makeup, perfumes, and cologne. And the biggest one I've seen is Pokemon and sports cards.”
And police say shutting down shoplifters helps reduce what you pay because stores have less loss to make up.
