A Duluth man faces theft charges after allegedly shoplifting two television sets from the Cloquet Walmart and hiding in a dumpster to evade police.
Joseph Alan Rogers, 33, was slated to make his first appearance in Carlton County Court on Wednesday after being charged with one count of felony theft and one count of gross misdemeanor theft. Bail was set at $20,000.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the incident, about 9:45 p.m. Nov. 19 Cloquet police officers responded to a report of a male shoplifter fleeing the area of the Walmart after being observed shoplifting at the store by loss prevention personnel.
Officers were told that someone had been observed stealing two televisions from the store and carting them out the front door, at which time the loss prevention personnel gave chase. The person fled on foot towards the Lemon Tree gas station and liquor store, and police then were summoned.
Store employees told police that the same person had been observed stealing additional television sets on the previous day, Nov. 18, and that
ADVERTISEMENT
the total value of the television sets stolen that day was $1,156. On that
occasion, the person had gotten away with the sets.
Video produced by the loss prevention staff clearly showed the physical description of the person stealing the television sets as well as the clothing he was wearing at the time he fled from the parking lot.
Upon further investigation, officers found a man, later identified as Rogers, hiding in a dumpster near one of the local businesses. The officers directed him to get out of the dumpster and he did so. At that time, they observed he was wearing the exact clothing that had been observed by the loss prevention associates and captured on the security video. He was identified by the Walmart personnel as being the same one they observed allegedly stealing the television sets both days.
Rogers was taken into custody and transported to the Carlton County Law Enforcement Center.
Another man, Justin Porter, allegedly accompanied Rogers to Walmart. He initially denied to authorities even knowing Rogers, but he later acknowledged his presence at the time of the theft. He faces a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice in connection with the incident.
