Police in Austin, Texas, have been busy cracking down on shoplifters as the holiday shopping season kicks off. This week, officers arrested nine people connected to four separate theft incidents at Target, Kohl’s, and Lowe’s near the Lakeline Mall. Here’s what happened:
In one case, four people came up with a sneaky plan to steal from Kohl’s. They tried to stash unpaid merchandise in an empty baby stroller, thinking they could walk right out with it. But police caught on. When officers confronted them outside the store, the suspects ditched the stroller and ran. It didn’t take long for the police to catch up with them, though. Inside the stroller, officers found $1,100 worth of stolen items, and another $1,200 in stolen goods was discovered in their vehicle.
The suspects—Melain Gomez (20), Alexis Garza (25), Jesus Jimenez-Gomez (22), and Jessica Gomez (23)—were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, which is a third-degree felony.
In another incident, a man identified as Javier Rios, described as a “high-value repeat offender,” was arrested at a Lowe’s store. Rios had allegedly walked out with a flatbed carrying a $2,156 air conditioning unit he hadn’t paid for. When police searched his vehicle, they found a $609 shower kit that had been stolen from a different Lowe’s earlier that same day. Rios now faces charges for theft and a state jail felony. He also had two outstanding warrants for larceny.
Molly McClanahan, assistant manager of a local clothing store, shared her thoughts on shoplifting. “It definitely happens a lot more than people think,” she said. According to her, bigger stores are especially targeted because they offer more places to hide or escape.
The third case involved a chase in the parking lot of a Target store. Donovan Clausen, 23, a repeat offender, was caught after trying to flee with $614 worth of stolen merchandise. When police searched his car, they found even more stolen items—$1,050 worth of jewelry and beauty products from Target and Kohl’s—as well as illegal drugs.
Clausen was charged with theft and possession of a controlled substance. A woman with him, Christina Shell, 44, was also arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
Finally, in the fourth case, another repeat offender, Martin Morales, 54, was caught after a dramatic escape attempt. Morales allegedly left a cart full of unpaid items outside a Target store and tried to flee in his car with a woman, Crystal Overby. Police stopped them shortly after. Morales was arrested and charged with theft and a state jail felony, while Overby was found to have an active arrest warrant.
These arrests are part of a bigger effort by Austin police to crack down on theft as holiday shopping ramps up. Officers say shoplifting often goes unnoticed, but this operation near Lakeline Mall shows they’re keeping a close eye on things.
