A man allegedly stolen from the same Chevy Chase, Maryland, grocery store three dozen times in the last few months, and Montgomery County police now say they need the public’s help identifying him.
The suspect has allegedly committed these thefts 36 different times at the Amazon Fresh location off Wisconsin Avenue, racking up an estimated $7,000 in stolen merchandise, according to police.
“Essentially, he has taken merchandise, passed all points of sale and then leaves the store without paying for any of the merchandise,” said Lauren Ivey, a spokeswoman with Montgomery County police.
Police said the first theft happened in October. The last time was April 18, police said.
Some shoppers are shocked at the amount of stolen goods from the same location.
“It needs to be stopped somehow or other, I don’t quite know how to do it,” customer Vic Waye told WTOP outside the store. “But that sort of stuff on a large scale affects the prices for the rest of us, and inflation is bad enough.”
Waye thinks more security should be added to help prevent these thefts.
“I think people at the entrance of the grocery store and exit is a pretty effective deterrent,” he said. “That will drive costs up a little bit as well for the store, but probably not as much as rampant shoplifting.”
When asked what kind of security is best for retail stores, Ivey said: “I can say that good pictures of suspects always help us in cases like these,”
Surveillance cameras at the grocery store have caught several pictures of the suspect; those photos were released Monday.
Montgomery County police are asking anyone with information about the suspect or the thefts to contact the department through its website or by calling 1-866-411-8477. Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tips may remain anonymous.
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