A “serial shoplifter” was arrested after he walked out of a supermarket with a 70-inch TV.
John Ray Lomack, 55, was captured on camera at a Target shop in Seattle loading the television into his cart and leaving without paying.
Lomack, who is thought to be homeless, is shown brazenly walking towards the store’s exit while security officials try to stop him. At one point, they succeed in stopping him from leaving via the rotating door, but Lomack simply walks away and exits by another door.
He then dragged the TV down the street, where he was met by police, who advised him to ‘dispose of the property’. Lomack refused, claiming that he had purchased the item – which was worth almost $750 and sold for $600 – but was unable to provide a receipt.
Video shows several security guards surrounding Lomack — with the undaunted homeless man barging into them as they repeatedly try to hold onto the box holding the TV and bring it back into the store. But to no avail.
Police attempt to arrest him, however, he resists and a ‘grapple’ ensues. He was eventually arrested and later charged with theft.
During his arrest, one of the responding officers immediately recognizes Lomack as a person trespassing from Target for multiple thefts.
Judge Kuljinder Dhillon, known for his tolerance of the homeless, released Lomack without bond despite the fact that a King County prosecutor contested a $5,000 bail due to his subpoena activity in 32 previous cases. He has also been convicted of at least 18 felonies and misdemeanors since 1985.
The Seattle episode comes as cities across the US – including New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago – are experiencing large numbers of brazen thefts. Citizens are calling for reform as many city leaders and ‘woke’ prosecutors continue to take lenient stances on crime.
Watch the footage below: