More Alleged Barnes and Noble Thieves Thwarted

Attempting to steal books from Barnes and Noble and resell them at a local second-hand stores might sound like a easy money to the common crook.

But the alleged shoplifters you’re about to read about apparently don’t visit Greenfield Patch. If they had, they would have known store employees at the , 4935 S. 76th Street, and the Greenfield Police Department, .

According to the report, on July 10 at approximately 6 p.m., a 35-year-old Milwaukee man allegedly stuffed six graphic novels into a black bag and set off store’s alarm as he made his way out the front door.

An employee said he raced across 76th Street, nearly got struck by several cars and made his way north. Once an employee called police, officers responded to both , 5032 S. 74th Street, and Mega Media Exchange, 4820 S. 76th Street.

It was at the latter where police spotted the suspect crouched down near the register with the books laid out on the floor. When police attempted to apprehend him, he allegedly put up a bit of a struggle, adding a resisting arrest citation to the one he received for retail theft.

Back at the police station, when the suspect was searched, police found the man wearing nylons with an additional pair tied around his legs just above the knee. When police asked if he used the nylons to conceal merchandise, he stated he simply liked the way they felt.

Trading books for pills

Just four days earlier, police received an email from a Half Price Books employee who informed them the store may have purchased stolen books from a customer July 3.

Police were informed a 24-year-old West Allis woman sold a pair of books for $8, two books with a retail value of $60 and stolen from Barnes and Noble, according to the police report.

When police made contact with the suspect at her place of employment, she admitted selling the books, but said it was her friend, a 24-year-old Milwaukee man, who stole them. She said he gave her the books to sell and that she’s done so on numerous occasions with the promise of receiving money or prescription drugs from her friend.

Both suspects received retail theft citations.