Theft at Quarterfield Lowe's

Just5Guy · Oct 30, 2013

So I pulled in to the Lowes on Quarterfield Road in Severn yesterday and see a woman chasing two men across the parking lot. The men are pushing a shopping cart overflowing with Dewalt tool sets. They take off on a flat run with the cart while the woman is yelling at them, and the one guy is yelling "Where are they, they are supposed to be here?"

So I get out of my truck and start following the woman, and then more guys join me. One guy kicks the cart away from the thief and it topples on to the parking lot. The other thief starts yelling let's go.

At that point the woman is still yelling at them and holding on to the cart, both thieves come back, one pulls "pepper spray" out of his coat, while the other grabs as many tool sets as he can carry. The thief sprays at the man who kicked the cart, while another man tries to attack him with an umbrella. The spray had no effect on the man, so it was either bad, or not pepper spray, it didn't smell like it to me.

I had no idea what to do, when the guy reached in his sweatshirt, I was thinking, great, I'm going to get shot over some power tools. I stood there with the woman while the thieves ran away and made sure the guy who got sprayed was okay and got some good pictures, I couldn't think of what else to do, they outnumbered me, and outweighed me by 50lbs. and it didn't look like anyone would assist me if I tried anything. Still feel like a failure though that I didn't stop them.

I waited for the police to see if they would want the pictures, but they never showed up. I happened across one in the parking lot looking at sheds as I was heading out, and stopped to ask him if he was here for the shoplifting incident, he had no idea what I was talking about...but he took a statement and got a description off my pictures.

Atlasarmory · Oct 30, 2013

Mr H · Oct 30, 2013

Yow...

Glad everyone's OK.

It's a good thing no one needs a carry gun in MD, right?!!
:sarcasm:

pbharvey · Oct 30, 2013

There are only 55 shopping days left until Christmas.

The LEO got a description off of your picture instead of the picture itself?

#1 male with a gray hoodie. OK got it.

Matlack · Oct 30, 2013

I would have followed them in your truck. And if they were reaching in their jacket, well you need to protect yourself right?

Just5Guy · Oct 30, 2013

pbharvey said:
There are only 55 shopping days left until Christmas.

The LEO got a description off of your picture instead of the picture itself?

#1 male with a gray hoodie. OK got it.

I found that strange as well, I kept asking him if he wanted the picture, he said he didn't need it.

I also found it strange that I waited almost 20 minutes and no police had responded, and the one I came across didn't have a clue what I was talking about...

Mr H · Oct 30, 2013

Matlack said:
I would have followed them in your truck. And if they were reaching in their jacket, well you need to protect yourself right?

Start carrying baseballs to chuck at the BGs......

:sad20:

Just5Guy · Oct 30, 2013

I told my wife I need to start keeping my baseball bats in the truck again, but she told me I probably would have been charged with assault and arrested.

I had my knives on me as always, but I had that whole knife/gun fight feeling, and again, can't really do much without getting myself in trouble.

pbharvey · Oct 30, 2013

Just5Guy said:
I found that strange as well, I kept asking him if he wanted the picture, he said he didn't need it.

I also found it strange that I waited almost 20 minutes and no police had responded, and the one I came across didn't have a clue what I was talking about...

Which makes it worse to think about if you did have a carry permit and pulled out a gun when he reached in his pocket. You'd be the profiling racist waiting for the police to arrive...if they arrive.

Matlack · Oct 30, 2013

My only other question about the situation would be, where was store security?

Just5Guy · Oct 30, 2013

I have never actually seen store security at that Lowes, occasionally there is a County cop outside, but not often.

Mr H · Oct 30, 2013

Just5Guy said:
I have never actually seen store security at that Lowes, occasionally there is a County cop outside, but not often.

This.

Though, there is a standing presence at the AT&T store just a few hundred yards away.

Shinny · Oct 30, 2013

I'll bet they didn't call 911 since they got their tools back.

DEX · Oct 30, 2013

What I find strange is the woman chasing after them. That would be a big no-no at my place of business. If our LP doesn't get them in store, we call the cops right away and start pulling security footage and taking statements. Cops are generally there within five minutes or less. It's a lot better for everyone involved to let the store file the claim and no one get injured.

SoMD_Gen4 · Oct 30, 2013

Kind of hard to believe they wouldn't pull tapes and call the cops, crazy!

Good on ya though! I wonder what the spray actually was...

Just5Guy · Oct 30, 2013

Shinny said:
I'll bet they didn't call 911 since they got their tools back.

All but two sets, and as many of us know, these are not cheap tool sets. The store just files a loss claim anyway

SRD · Oct 30, 2013

Well,you did what you thought you had to do (i'd have done the same) and I commend you for that.The sad part is nothing would have been done to them (by the courts) if they had been caught.

Name Taken · Oct 30, 2013

Most big chain stores aren't going to call if they recover all the property and do not detain the suspects.

Corporate doesn't want to waste their employee's time in court which will likely be drawn out over several days when they did not suffer a monetary lost.

safecracker · Oct 30, 2013

Just5Guy said:
I had no idea what to do, when the guy reached in his sweatshirt, I was thinking, great, I'm going to get shot over some power tools.

So you put yourself at risk of being killed over someone else's power tools??? Those tools belonged to a Fortune 500 corporation that was going to write it off as a loss anyway. It's not like they belonged to some little old lady who had just purchased them. Playing hero can get you killed. You are damn lucky you weren't injured or killed.

Intervening in a physical assault is one thing but for God's sake.....

highwayheat · Oct 30, 2013

Before the Lowes in North East was open some guys pulled into the fence area in the rear and loaded up a riding mower into a pick up truck. When they tried to leave the truck hit the gate and cut the brake line. As the truck exited the shopping center it ran the stop sign due to no brakes. The truck then collided with a car and the idiot in the bed of the truck was ejected and died from the sudden stop on the asphalt. Self correcting error - death penalty for theft.

Theft at Quarterfield Lowe's

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