Police searching for suspect in theft of $6,300 bike
After test riding a few bikes during a Redmond bicycle shop’s busy sale in Washington, a male suspect stole a $6,300 bike, according to the Redmond Police Department (RPD). The theft occurred at Element Cycles and the stolen bike is a BMC Team Machine SLR 01 with Ultegra electronic shifting (Di2). According to Washington’s Most Wanted, store clerks were so busy dealing with a massive amount of customers that they forgot to get the suspect’s ID and credit card as security. Element personnel has been searching different buy-sell apps and websites for the bike. “We’re hoping tips are gonna start pouring in,” said Element general manager Lorraine Wright, noting that the local news ran a piece on the theft on Monday night. RPD public information officer Andrea Wolf-Buck said they hadn’t been informed of any tips as of Tuesday morning. Police describe the suspect as white, with some facial hair, an athletic build and wearing a V-neck white T-shirt, dark skinny pants and white shoes. Police said he was with a thin blonde-haired woman in khaki shorts and a light colored T-shirt who was driving a silver four-door Lexus. Wright said a theft is “definitely not gonna happen again. That was pretty brazen,” adding that she’s hammered it into her employees to always ask a customer for ID and a credit card before they test ride bikes.
Wright noted that employees have possibly prevented bike thefts before when customers left the store before test riding because they didn’t have ID and a credit card. After 15 minutes had passed and the suspect didn’t return with the bike on Sept. 2, employees and Wright realized what happened. “By then, it was too late,” Wright said of trying to track down the suspect. Wright noted that customers have stolen small items before, but never something near this expensive. “We’re pretty well-staffed with good customer service. That’s your best defense against shoplifting,” Wright said of a usual smooth-running day at the shop. A store video, which is too blurry to pinpoint the license plate number, is in the hands of crime analysts. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who can help identify and locate the suspect, the woman or her vehicle. Call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or use the P3 Tips phone app to submit the information anonymously. [Source: Redmond Reporter]
Two men arrested for alleged “smash and grab” liquor store theft
The Fort Wayne Police Department officers in Indiana arrested two men early Tuesday after they reportedly broke out the glass in the door to a local liquor store and took 22 bottles of expensive liquors. Suspects have made a series of similar “smash and grab” thefts recently, often hitting more than one store during the same period of time, a Fort Wayne Police Department report said. After hearing a report of a similar theft before 4 a.m. at a liquor store in New Haven, some Fort Wayne Police officers positioned themselves along the route from New Haven back to Fort Wayne, a police report said. They soon received a report of that glass had been broken at the Belmont Beverage store. Fort Wayne officers in other locations also responded to the reported break-in at Belmont Beverage.
One officer encountered a speeding white van and began chasing it, police reported. Other officers joined the pursuit, and one was able to put down a tire deflation device, which flattened the tires on the van.The van driver continued to flee, though the speed dropped from about 80 mph to 20 to 30 mph, the report said. Near Bueter and Brentwood avenues, a passenger jumped out of the van and ran. A New Haven Police Department officer in the area detained a man he encountered nearby, Damion L. Guy, 41, and Fort Wayne Police officers reportedly identified him as the man they saw bail out of the van and run, the police report said. The van driver, Edward J. Hope, 53, also was caught by police after fleeing from the vehicle, police said. Inside the van, they found two tote bags containing the liquor, which included whiskey, tequila and cognac, police reported. Police said they arrested both men, but didn’t specify the charges. Guy also was arrested on an outstanding warrant for domestic battery. [Source: News Sentinel]
Apple announces new retail experience, “Today at Apple”
At Apple’s big iPhone launch event Tuesday, company retail guru Angela Ahrendts announced a new experience at the tech giant’s retail stores: “Today at Apple.” The program is designed to help customers learn more about different aspects of their phones, such as photography, music and app development. Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail, described programs like Photo Walks, which teaches customers about using portrait mode. Swift Playground teaches customers young and old about coding. And Teachers Tuesdays is designed to help local educators stay updated on the company’s latest technology and apps. “Today at Apple” sessions are led by members of a new position called the Creative Pro.
Apple also said it’s making changes to the design of some of its stores, including the New York City Fifth Avenue location, which will feature an open plaza to let in natural sunlight. The glass cube will also make a comeback when the location reopens late next year.
In addition, Apple is opening a new flagship store in Chicago, on Michigan Avenue, on Oct. 20. Early next year, Apple is transforming a theater in Milan, Italy, into an Apple store. It will also restore Carnegie Library in Washington, DC, into an Apple store, as well as a historic building in Paris on the Champs-Elysees. “We think of Apple Retail as Apple’s largest products,” Ahrendts said. [Source: C|Net]
Stolen Equifax data could be worth more than $32M on the dark web
Data stolen in the massive hack of US consumer credit reporting agency Equifax could be worth more than $32 million on the dark web, according to estimates made by one security company. The number comes from Intsights Inc., which says that it has used its knowledge of the dark web, a shady part of the Internet accessible through special software, and Internet black markets to calculate the potential monetary value of the leaked consumer data. According to the research, a credit card number is usually sold for around $8 to $10 on the dark web, whereas a valid card along with full personal information, including social security number and date of birth, would typically sell for $20. A single registry of full identification details including SSN, DOB, phone number and address would sell for around 20 cents on average without a valid card, but the details still hold value as hackers can use them to commit various acts of fraud such as tax refund scams, ordering credit cards on behalf of the victim, or opening a fake account. By the numbers, Intsights estimated that, given that the Equifax data included 143 million entries, of which 209,000 records included credit card data, the data would be worth $32.7 million on the dark web. Who is behind the hack remains a mystery, although one group calling itself PastHole Hacking Team was at one stage claiming responsibility on a now-removed dark web page. That page asked for a payment of 600 bitcoin ($2.37 million) for the data and said if it didn’t receive a payment, it would release the data for free. [Source: SiliconeANGLE]
Home-Improvement retailers scramble to restock in Florida
Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other home-improvement retailers are rushing supplies into Florida in Irma’s wake, an effort critical to rebuilding efforts as well as their quarterly sales.Big-box retailers have become increasingly intertwined with recovery efforts after natural disasters, working to restock supplies for local residents, first responders and area officials. Both Lowe’s and Home Depot have access to vast supplies of building materials, power generators and other needed products, as well as the infrastructure to keep them in stock. Home Depot and Lowe’s shares rose around 4% over the last two weeks as investors anticipated upticks in hurricane-related sales. “We utilize our entire supply chain because speed is so important to help communities restore,” said Peter Capel, vice president of field merchandising for Home Depot.
Earlier in the year, the Atlanta-based retailer preloaded trucks and stocked four distribution centers near hurricane-prone areas with generators, plywood, water and cleaning supplies, so that it could resupply local stores before and after storms, Mr. Capel said. A former Marine, Mr. Capel pushed for police escorts for trucks to expedite their movement past barricades. In southern Florida, Home Depot stores began reopening Monday morning, selling supplies built up before Irma arrived, but trucks coming from other parts of the U.S. hadn’t yet made it into the state, according to a spokesman.Both Lowe’s and Home Depot said they don’t raise prices during disasters and have price-freeze policies in place. Some airlines faced criticism and price-gouging complaints as people in Florida and the Caribbean evacuated. Lowe’s is deemed part of “restoration and recovery” in most U.S. states, a classification that lets its trucks drive into storm-struck areas before citizens, said Rick Neudorff, emergency command center operations manager for the Mooresville, North Carolina, retailer. [Source: Fox Business]
Alaska city tries new tack on shoplifting woes: counseling
Alaska’s capital city, Juneau is trying a new approach to deal with its shoplifting problem: counseling. The city plans to enter into agreements with willing participants to defer prosecution or sentencing pending completion of specific steps. The steps include setting and achieving self-identified goals and a shoplifting treatment program. Participants also will have to pay restitution. The move follows legislative changes that restricted the use of jail time as a punishment and questions about the effectiveness of jail time as a deterrent. The program is a partnership between the city law department and behavioral health and support organizations that will focus on repeat offenders.
Susanne DiPietro, executive director of the Alaska Judicial Council, said she was not aware of other programs like this one that use counseling to target repeat shoplifters. The program is based on practices shown to be effective for other groups of people, she said. Amy Mead, the municipal attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, said she is not sure if or how well the federally funded, one-year pilot program might work. “We have to try something,” she said. An annual state crime report shows 1,212 larceny-thefts — a category that includes shoplifting and bike thefts — were reported in Juneau in 2016. That compares with 995 in 2015 and 740 in 2014. Before 2014, the number of larceny-thefts in the city had been gradually declining, from 1,279 in 2010, crime statistics show. Statewide, the number of larceny-thefts increased from 15,156 in 2015 to 17,683 last year. Some have blamed the state Legislature’s passage last year of a criminal justice overhaul. The new law among other things limits the use of jail time for low-level misdemeanors, such as thefts involving a value of less than $250. Lawmakers this year considered changes following public outcry about crime, but they took no final action. [Source: Star-Tribune]
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