The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help to identify a man who “returned” items from a local hardware store for a refund. The only problem is that the man had not purchased the items at all; he simply went into the store and loaded up a shopping cart and ripped off the returns clerk for more than $800.
The incident happened in late July at the hardware retail store at 1212 North Glenwood Avenue and was reported to police on Aug. 31. The suspect, a white male wearing jeans and a light blue T-shirt entered the store alone, without a shopping cart, and without anything in his hands shortly before 7 p.m. Approximately 15 minutes later, the suspect was recorded on store surveillance in the garden center area with a shopping cart full of wall tile. Minutes later, the suspect rolled the cart to the customer service desk and “returned” the wall tile. The customer service clerk was fooled, and gave the suspect a gift card for store credit in the amount of $834.34. The card was reportedly later used at the store’s location in Fort Oglethorpe.
Anyone who can identify this suspect or who has information on this crime is asked to contact Detective John Edwards at 706 278-9085, extension 9152.