LPD Working on Shoplifting Cases, Could Lead to Bigger Busts

By: Chad Silber - Email

Updated: Fri 9:21 PM, Sep 07, 2012

Lincoln Police are constantly filing reports of shoplifting cases no matter the size of the crime.

In this week's crimestoppers report, there are at least four cases that police believe could lead to bigger crimes.

Two weeks ago, three girls went to the Lids store at the Gateway Mall to get a hat.

"One of the females distracted the clerk," said LPD Officer Erin Spilker. "She's wearing a grey sweatshirt while the girl in the pink sweatshirt took a Chicago Bulls hat, concealed it under her sweatshirt."

That same day, a group of females walked into the North 27th Street Walmart to do some shopping. One of them quickly split from the group.

"She ends up taking a 3-pack of condoms, concealing them in her purse and then leaving out the door. When she's confronted outside of the store by an employee, she takes off running," said Spilker.

Her friends were seen leaving in a blue Oldsmobile Alero.

Also caught on surveillance back on August 11th, a Native American male taking a 30-pack of Keystone Light beer from a Lincoln Quik Shop.

"The thing that was unusual about him was he was confronted by the employee," said Spilker. "He was very calm, he never ran away, he walked very calmly away."

The fourth case involves a black male in a white Lexus, wearing a shirt covered with pot leaves. Police say he went into a Casey's General Store and walked out with a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.

These cases are not as serious as some of the cases we cover in Crimestoppers, but Lincoln Police believe that if they solve the cases, they're able to prevent others from even happening.

"In general, they're willing to commit other crimes as well," said Spilker. "So while they might not be getting caught for every crime, in this case, we have video of them committing the crime and if we're able to identify them, it may prevent them from committing other crimes down the road."

If you know anything about these cases, call Crimestoppers at 475-3600.

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