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Man Accused Of Walgreens Crime-Spree

Posted: 5:36 pm EST November 12, 2009Updated: 6:16 pm EST November 12, 2009

A man who looked like any regular customer wasn't at a store to buy anything, police say, he was on a crime-spree at area Walgreens stores.

The man has stolen from at least three stores in Altamonte Springs and Apopka in the past few weeks and officers say the crook was after the same thing.

The suspect in a baseball cap, walked in grabbed a cart and a sales flier like any other customer, but ten minutes later a surveillance camera caught him walking behind the photo counter where he cut a lock and stole $900 worth of digital cameras.

“He removed eight digital cameras from the display, rips them out of the package and walks out of the store without paying for them,” Tim Hyer of the Altamonte Springs Police said.

The alarm never went off and employees had no idea until they were walking around the store and found the empty boxes on the floor.

The most expensive camera behind the counter is $99.

A woman police say, who they have pictured with the suspect, may be a witness to the crime or have information about where he is.

“People are just so much bolder these days from when I was growing up, scary,” customer Jackie Poor said.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Apopka police believe the same man stole about $2,000 worth of digital cameras and camcorders from Walgreens stores in their jurisdictions.

But they've never been able to catch him on camera because by the time employees find the empty boxes laying around, it's days later when the surveillance video has already been recorded over.

“Somebody needs to up their surveillance, better check out procedures,” Poor said.

Police said they believe the suspect is selling the cameras at low prices on the street and on E-Bay.

If caught, the suspect could face third-degree grand theft charges and that could land him in prison for five years.
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