Published: November 13, 2009 07:04 pm      

Robbery charge in attempted Belk theft

A juvenile and an unnamed adult were arrested Thursday in connection with an attempted theft from Belk at Richmond Centre, police said.

Officers were called to the scene after employees reported a possible shoplifting theft that turned into an altercation between the suspects and employees, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, Richmond Police Department spokesman.

One of the suspects, later identified as a 17-year-old Richmond boy, was caught fleeing down the Eastern Bypass on foot by officers responding to the reported altercation, Reardon said.

An investigation uncovered evidence that the boy and an adult male had entered the store and attempted to leave with a pair of shoes without paying, Reardon said.

Employees detained the duo before they left the store, Reardon said, but the juvenile was able to escape by twisting an employee’s hands and breaking free.

The juvenile faces a second-degree robbery charge for the alleged assault on the employee, while the adult faces a misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking charge.

The adult was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center, while the juvenile was taken to the Fayette County Juvenile Detention Center in Lexington to be lodged.



Other crimes

• Police also are investigating a theft from a storage unit at A&A Storage on Catalpa Loop, Reardon said.

The burglary was reported Wednesday, but Reardon said the victim told police the theft had occurred over the weekend.

The lock had been removed from the unit, and eight packages of black house shutters were taken along with a set of aluminum loading ramps, Reardon said. The items were valued at $600.

• An electric leaf blower and a 50-foot long yellow extension cord were reported stolen Tuesday from a storage container outside a home in the 200 block of Sunset Avenue. The resident told police the items had been taken within the last week, Reardon said.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Richmond Police Department at 623-1162 or 623-8911.



Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.