By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. – Three suspects received citations after allegedly stealing nearly $600 worth of alcohol from the Meijer store at 900 N. Lapeer Road on Oct. 31.
Meijer loss prevention called 911 around 8:07 p.m. Oct. 31 to report that two women were removing the theft protection devices from multiple bottles of alcohol and then hiding the bottles in their purses, according to an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
A store loss prevention employee informed Oxford Township deputies that he watched on security cameras as one of the women grabbed what appeared to be 10 pints (375 milliliters each) of Casamigos tequila and placed them in a shopping cart. The other woman placed six bottles in the cart, the employee told deputies.
The loss prevention employee then said he went to the aisle where the women were and could see the women remove the security devices and place the liquor bottles in their purses.
The employee then left the aisle and called 911.
As the women were attempting to leave Meijer, the loss prevention employee confronted them in the store’s vestibule, identified himself and asked them to come back into the store. The women refused the request and walked out of the store, the report stated.
The suspects then got into a silver sedan, which proceeded southbound on Lapeer Road. Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped the vehicle at Washington and First streets and detained three suspects, the report stated.
The suspects were described as a 22-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman and a 24-year-old, all Flint, Mich.
Upon searching the vehicle, deputies found 18 bottles of liquor in the vehicle, valued at $599.82, according to the report. Deputies also bound another 16 bottles of liquor in the vehicle, but did not know the value of those items. The suspects claimed that the bottles were already in the vehicle and were for a party.
Deputies also watched the surveillance video and confirmed that the suspects had stolen the liquor. The suspects were cited for Retail Fraud, 2nd Degree.
During the arrest, deputies also discovered that the 22-year-old woman driving the vehicle did not have a valid driver’s license. She was cited for driving on a suspended license, not having proof of valid insurance and not having valid vehicle registration on her.
None of the suspects had valid driver’s licenses, the report stated, and deputies had the car impounded.
The male suspect was also cited for possession of open intoxicants in the vehicle.
Deputies returned the recovered liquor to Meijer loss prevention.