Police Beat: A Botched Theft from Home Depot

Sometimes a sticky-fingered thieve can be somewhat creative in order to avoid paying for items. In fact, one West Allis man actually paid for his wares before stealing them.

At 2:30 p.m. Monday, a 49-year-old man purchased two spools of wire from in Menomonee Falls. Shortly after he purchased the spools, he re-entered the store only to return the two items.

After receiving his cash, he went and grabbed two identical spools of wire and left the store without paying. The man produced his return receipt as proof of purchase. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work. He was arrested for shoplifting shortly thereafter and is facing charges for obstructing justice and retail theft.

Also in the reports:

• At 11:15 a.m. April 11, a male driving a tan, two-door Chevrolet Blazer pumped $36.64 worth of gas from , N88W15167 Main St., and left without paying.
• A suspicious vehicle was stolen and left in a Lannon farm field at roughly 2:30 a.m. Monday. The keys were left inside the vehicle, and police contacted the owner, who lives in Lannon, and he said it was taken without his consent. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department handled the stolen vehicle report, and is conducting an investigation.
• A 41-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for operating after revocation after police pulled him over at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Fond Du Lac Avenue and Main Street. The man’s license was revoked due to an OWI. He was driving his friend’s vehicle, but the man was under ignition interlock device sanctions for his own. He also blew a 0.09 on a preliminary breath test and told officers he had two cocktails. He was booked at cited.
• Between 1:58 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday two subjects cut the lock and chain to a fenced in area at Alto-Shaam, W164N9221 Water St., and stole $1,600 worth of scrap metal.
• A 28-year-old woman was arrested for an OWI-first offense at 12:34 a.m. Tuesday after police pulled her over for lane deviations near Pilgrim Road and Good Hope Road. The woman said she had consumed three glasses of wine, and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11. She received a municipal citation.
• A 29-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for cocaine possession after an officer in an unmarked squad car observed him driving at excessive speeds at 1:45 a.m. Sunday near Appleton Avenue and Fleet Avenue. Police detected the strong odor of intoxicants, but her did not cooperate when officers attempted to conduct field sobriety tests. The man was taken to Community Memorial Hospital for a blood test, but officers also found cocaine in his possession. He is facing a felony charge for possession of the drug.