Police Wrestle And Arrest Target TV Thief (2023)

That's A Crime
Episode 68: Police Wrestle And Arrest Target TV Thief (2023)

Jason Connell and Sal Rodriguez break down the true crime story of the Police Wrestle And Arrest Target TV Thief in 2023. On August 7, 2023, a male suspect shoplifted a television from a Target store in Atlanta, GA, and then later returned to steal a more expensive one. This exchange led to a wrestling match in the parking lot between the suspect and a police officer.

Recorded: 10-11-23
Studio: Just Curious Media
https://www.JustCuriousMedia.com/

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https://www.instagram.com/SalvadorLosAngeles/

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Transcript

Jason Connell: 0:01

Whoa, just curious. Welcome to Just curious media. This is that's a crime. I'm Jason Connell.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:10

And I'm Sal Rodriguez.

Jason Connell: 0:12

All right, sound we are back with another crime.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:17

And I don't think we've had a crime exactly like this. I would agree. Because I'm just kind of baffled at the things that people are willing to go to jail for, I guess. Yeah,

Jason Connell: 0:29

this one's silly, but it does deal with the place that we have covered before. On other crimes.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:37

That's correct. My my it probably is, I mean, I've wrestled with this in recent weeks. My favorite retail outlet.

Jason Connell: 0:44

Okay. Also your home away from home.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:47

I do love Target. I don't know why. You know what?

Jason Connell: 0:49

They don't do too much away. Okay,

Sal Rodriguez: 0:51

fine. They got me with the decor they did those guys.

Jason Connell: 0:55

Because today we're breaking down the True Crime Story of police wrestle and arrest target TV thief in 2023. So a lot to unpack yourself doesn't sound like a heavier darker crime. This is definitely on the misdemeanor, you know, spectrum for us. But we do come back to target on a regular basis.

Sal Rodriguez: 1:23

It Jason it's almost like Target is becoming the new Walmart is what is That's exactly

Jason Connell: 1:27

true. And in fact, I happened to bring up your social media the other day, what I don't know what happened. You popped up and I was in so this is so funny. This is so onpoint one of your last post was I'm an idiot. I'm so dumb. I'm wearing red at Target. That's Rodriguez. Right? So you noticed you're wearing red because I'm assuming employees wear red? Is that what was going on there? And then people are an employee?

Sal Rodriguez: 1:55

Yeah. Someone had just asked me for their help for help with something. You know, Do you work here? And I was like, No, I don't work here. But and that's happened before I have made the mistake of wearing red at Target. I don't recommend it. Unless you want to have a good time. Some people can have a good time with that. Maybe. But if you were ready to target be prepared.

Jason Connell: 2:14

Yeah, that's like back in the day. Actually, I worked at Blockbuster. But if you ever walked into a blockbuster with khakis, and a blue knit shirt on, hey, excuse me. I was curious about this new Schwarzenegger movie. No, I'm just here to get a movie.

Sal Rodriguez: 2:30

I just dressed like this. Normally, our

Jason Connell: 2:32

Best Buy has a very similar attire. blue or green. It's a lighter blue or you know shirt, not navy.

Sal Rodriguez: 2:40

Because nobody wears anymore. He can't be like always wearing a vest. Like I don't think anybody wears vests anymore. Do they? Hope they were sort of an orange vest at home. Yeah,

Jason Connell: 2:47

they gotta stand out. Yeah, they're gonna stand up from the ground. And also because there's lots of things going on around you know, dangerous things. forklifts and whatnot. Okay, so let's dive into this. TV thief. Okay. Yep. On August 7 2023. A bold shoplifter targeted a Target store. Nice wink wink, no

Sal Rodriguez: 3:11

better place to target them at Target. And

Jason Connell: 3:14

Atlanta, Georgia, prompting a call to the police. The security guard on site flagged down arriving officers notifying them that the male suspect who had stolen a television had returned to take a more expensive one. That's

Sal Rodriguez: 3:34

what they say Jason if somebody commits a crime somewhere like let's say if somebody were to heaven forbid, Rob anyone's home, you know, our home our listeners home? Yeah, if somebody Ross successfully robbed your home, they say there is a big chance they're going to be back.

Jason Connell: 3:48

Again after Yes. Finish everything. There you

Sal Rodriguez: 3:51

go. So somebody successfully robs a target. Yeah, they're probably going to come back.

Jason Connell: 3:56

But I have a couple of questions. Yeah, follow up questions, because all the information we have is here and we're don't have some of this stuff. Yeah. Did he steal a TV that day? Is he bringing back the TV he's stolen? Said I got the wrong size. We don't have a receipt, sir. No, no, no, it's not like that. I just stole this but I have wanted the 70 that No, I didn't happen. So if he stole a TV and he came back they spotted him right away. I just have a lot of follow ups to this.

Sal Rodriguez: 4:26

Well also this could fall under the category of world's Dumbest Criminals because theoretically, way the first time Yeah, yeah. did get a different target. How about that a different target in a different county? How about that? No. He's what happens to if you follow true crime, serial killers, they get sloppy. Criminals get sloppy, so anybody else's crimes. Yeah, look out, keep your cross your t's dot your i's.

Jason Connell: 4:51

He skated right out with the first one. You know, sometimes if you buy a bunch of I don't know how it works. I know that when you leave these stores and I use it to happen at Costco Oh, but now it definitely happens at Best Buy and I don't know about target but you know best buy for sure. They look okay your staff they kind of look at your receipt they do like a double check after you've already paid right? What is target? Do you're the target expert? No, they don't. They're not there to double check. No, theoretically, you could pay bear with me. Pay for whatever you got. Have another cart adjacent waiting for you with an old Telly in it. And then push both cards right out the you know the front door. There's this less security less of a checks and balances at the front door.

Sal Rodriguez: 5:38

We know you can't spell adjacent without a Jason. Hello. Oh my gosh, it depending on what store you're at. Jason, you got Ross, you got a target. You got Walmart, you got Best Buy. Okay, Best Buy as soon as you walk in. Yeah, the loss prevention person right there. Look at these greens. On the way out. When you walk into Ross, I don't know if they have rasa if all of our listeners have the pleasure of shopping at a Ross. But I've even went to Ross in Las Vegas. As soon as you walk into Ross, you are greeted by the guy with a vest that says loss prevention on it. They let you know right away. Hello there. Do not steal. That's the first thing.

Jason Connell: 6:18

Yeah being filmed.

Sal Rodriguez: 6:19

I would say of all of them of all the stores mentioned, Target has probably most lacks methods of dealing with shoplifting. Definitely not an in your face approach.

Jason Connell: 6:29

So I see a direct correlation to the number of target episodes we have. That's a crime now. Now I understand why that is a security lapse. So which is

Sal Rodriguez: 6:41

strange because we always thought Okay, so in high school, I had a friend that worked at Target. And at the time, there were undercover officers in target. Wow. Anybody remember? How old am I? Undercover security? You don't know the security? They're not wearing the uniform. But they are undercover security watching you target us to have that. Fake shopping, right? Yeah, exactly. Shop Now we need to recognize these guys because they would generally have sight of sort of tighter fitting jeans. Tapered at the bottom running shoes that always have running shoes. Yeah, fanny pack. Yeah. So we knew as a juvenile delinquent, we knew what to look for. So we knew Guess what? Don't steal from Target. They have undercover security guards. I don't think they have many more.

Jason Connell: 7:25

Yeah, obviously not. Alright, so back to this TV thief. Nameless TV thief. Yes, as officers initiated a search for the suspect because now he's fleed. They encountered him leaving the store with the pilfered television. So he got out of the store with the second TV the one he the other one he wanted to get and that it was balanced atop a shopping cart back to my what I was talking about. He's got this little system and altercation ensued as the suspect grappled with an officer for several minutes in the parking lot Sal, you and I both watched this video I was gonna show up, but it was just so much shaky as like the Blair Witch Project. I didn't want our audience getting sick. It was just too much motion. But it was two guys. I couldn't even make them out wrestling on the ground. Lots of shouting, which we're going to talk about. But so what did you think I couldn't even tell who was winning that grappling wrestling match?

Sal Rodriguez: 8:25

No, you know what, as I watched this grappling match that occurred on the ground in the parking lot at the target as an MMA fan. As a UFC fan. As a martial arts fan. I'm looking at two guys grappling on the floor. It's almost like a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match. And at the same time, I'm kind of impressed by the suspect and unimpressed by the cop. Because a cop is grappling with a suspect. And they're kind of neutralizing each other. And then the funniest part Chase and here's the funniest part. As this is happening as a cop and a suspect are wrestling on the ground. You have target employee carrying that long train that long centipede of cards. Yes. Right by not even batting an eyelash. It's like all of the day's work here at Target.

Jason Connell: 9:16

Exactly. That's so funny. It reminds me of David Spade when I used to see him doing stand up actually he came to Oklahoma State when he was early in his career. And he kind of give a rendition of a guy like he never watched cops Bad Boys cops and it's like, it's always like white guy. shorts on no shirt or wife beater and this is the best part SYG in his mouth. Not shocked that cops are in his house. That was always the best like Oh, you guys are here again. Same kind of reaction from the guy with the centipede of cards like oh my gosh, another wrestling match with with an employee dot employee sorry with a customer Thief amongst us so hilarious. I love that tidbit there. So amid the struggle, this classic fight in which the assailant is getting the best of the officer, the suspect repeatedly shouted that he hadn't intended for this and expressed his strong aversion to ending up in jail. And you hear this clearly on the video sound please give your best imitation of this TV thief. I

Unknown: 10:30

didn't mean it. I don't want to go to jail. I don't want to go to effing jail. Please, stop.

Sal Rodriguez: 10:37

I need to go to the hospital. Yeah, you brought this upon yourself, dude. It's like would not have more sympathy. If he were like stealing baby formula, right? We'd be like, Wow, he's stealing. Maybe we would you're stealing a flatscreen. Dude, have you stolen one already? Second, flatscreen you already know you're being greedy is what you're being.

Jason Connell: 10:57

But I find it funny that he does. It didn't mean it doesn't want to go to jail, not effing jail. And he's like, this isn't working. I gotta go to hospital. Well, better the hospital and they have to honor that. Do they have to honor that? Or they go do this Shut up. You're not believe you're actually winning this wrestling match according to Sal Rodriguez, MMA fan? And enthusiast. No, you know what I mean? Like, why do you score the height Sal?

Sal Rodriguez: 11:22

Jason, I'd be like a wisecracking cop. I'd be like, you are going to the hospital, in jail, in

Jason Connell: 11:28

jail, in jail. Now, eventually, additional officers arrived. And this led to the suspect being apprehended, okay. And luckily, also, this is good news. Both the officer and suspect emerged with only minor scrapes. And that's a cement. This is a parking lot things can happen. You could

Sal Rodriguez: 11:49

ask the thing about that's the thing about finding out there, like outside of a ring outside of a cage right outside of athletics or the streets around the ground is a dangerous thing. Very

Jason Connell: 12:00

dangerous. Also other cars, you don't necessarily see two guys in the way people have big SUVs. I don't want to be in a parking lot ever let alone on the ground? Absolutely not. So they escaped without serious harm from the encounter, which is good. And so I'm assuming the suspect was arrested for stealing. One of the two TVs definitely this TV that he just pilfered? I don't know if it was hearsay on the first TV, but I also suspect that he is not welcome at Target anymore. At least this one in Atlanta, Georgia. I

Sal Rodriguez: 12:37

think it's safe to say Jason, if you steal from any retail chain, you are barred for life from black chain, you are absolutely canceled from that retail channel. Yeah, I guess deservedly so, you know, how good was this TV? Was this like the top of the line TV, you know, when it comes to getting the rest of it when it comes to going to jail when it comes to committing a crime? Choose your crimes wisely. If I'm gonna go to jail, it's going to be for something good.

Jason Connell: 13:03

And if you really did get away with it, do just you don't need to press your luck. Just enjoy the first television. Honestly, you did it. You did it. He must have been bragging or his he got home his wife is scolded him on the size that he got. I don't know. Whatever.

Sal Rodriguez: 13:23

A Samsung, I wanted a Sony what's going on here?

Jason Connell: 13:26

I clearly said all right. All right. So that covers the True Crime Story of police wrestle and arrest target TV thief in 2023. So before we sign off, we've started doing this on recent episodes of that to crime, which is really fun. And we'll probably make it a mainstay until we don't. But until we cover all of the old episodes, but it's to spotlight an episode from our library of that's a crime because you make an episode you put it out there in the world, people respond to it. And then you get new fans or time goes on and you know that episode falls further down the chain the queue, but it doesn't make it less relevant. In fact, sometimes we'll dust off on episodes and be like, Oh my gosh, remember when like the Wayback Machine. So we're doing that here because this is an episode I've pulled up that's very fitting for this episode. And this is episode eight teen knife yielding woman stabs for and Target store in 2010, the darker side of the target crimes that we've covered. I

Sal Rodriguez: 14:36

don't feel safe at Target anymore. Can I just say, Can I walk down the aisle at Target and not look over my shoulder anymore?

Jason Connell: 14:44

I don't know man. Well, this is 2010 so it's a little bit older but the reason this is a great episode A because it's fantastic and sound. I do a great job of covering it. But it's also a target that we have both been to oh yes, you more recent than me it's in West Hall. Lakewood, California, I went there several times it was my target of choice at that period of my life I lived close by, I don't go to Target as much as you. But this target was one of those bigger targets and they had to grocery. So I would go there. It's a great area. And then I see this crime that happened. I just discovered this. We recorded this episode, actually, November 24 2021. That's when I learned about it. But I thought I'd heard something years prior. So actually, that's not true. I did hear about it when I lived there and thought, Whoa, we got to be careful with that target. And then when we were doing episodes, I kind of rediscovered it. That's what happened. So yes, you have to be careful at targets. This was a scary one. I mean, you're going shopping doing your thing. So Rodriguez is in the collectibles, the toy section. And here's somebody coming at you with a knife. I mean, that's what happened here. Not you. But that's scary, man. Not just some guy trying to steal a TV. So any takeaways on this one for you? And even you know, things that you remember nuggets from the episode? Well,

Sal Rodriguez: 16:04

this just brings to mind my a lot of my life. You know, growing up in Los Angeles, as a kid, I saw a man get stabbed on Hollywood Boulevard, right on the Walk of Fame. saw it happen broad daylight. Okay, so that's a fast forward, I'm in target. You're thinking targets a safe, you're just not thinking something like this is going to happen in a target. Your guard is down. So unfortunately, this is a I don't know kind of a What is it kind of jarring for me? Because yeah, you're gonna there could be potentially danger everywhere you go. And that's a sad state of affairs and a sad state of our society. So yeah, good episode though. I'm proud of our episode. I did enjoy our episode. But yeah, look out folks. Even in target. Keep keep looking over your shoulder. Yeah,

Jason Connell: 16:51

look after those stabbing sprees. Very scary.

Sal Rodriguez: 16:55

And if you're going to steal a TV, make it a good one. Yeah.

Jason Connell: 16:58

And don't go back for the second one. Tap

Sal Rodriguez: 17:01

out. Yeah, yeah, be happy. So

Jason Connell: 17:04

thank you so much for listening. And please be sure to subscribe to the that's a crime podcast and the that's a crime YouTube Live Channel. You can also really help us by giving the show a five star rating on Apple podcast,

Sal Rodriguez: 17:18

and for all your listeners and enjoy sharing your thoughts. You can leave us a review on Apple podcasts, send us a direct message or post a comment on any that's a crime social media platform.

Jason Connell: 17:27

We also highly recommend checking out our other podcasts and visiting just curious media.com