A 44-year-old Shelton woman was arrested after allegedly stealing merchandise from a Target store in Lacey over several months.
According to a report from the Lacey Police Department, store employees detained the woman on October 20 after she was accused of taking about $273 worth of items without paying. Further investigation revealed she was connected to several prior incidents at the same location and another Target store in Olympia.
Using the store’s radio frequency identification tracking system, investigators linked the suspect to at least five separate thefts between June and September. In each case, she reportedly used self-checkout to pay for some items while leaving others unscanned. The total value of unpaid merchandise from the combined incidents was estimated at $753.56.
The woman was booked into the Thurston County Corrections Facility on suspicion of second-degree organized retail theft and has been banned from returning to the store.
Retail theft continues to be a significant concern for local businesses, and tools such as RFID technology are increasingly being used by retailers to detect and prevent loss.
