Chatham-Kent police have a well-fed thief in custody after he allegedly made off with arm loads of meat from two different grocery stores.
The latest incident happened Sunday. Officers arrested a 14-year-old boy twice in the same day. Police said he went to No Frills on Queen Street and stole about $150 worth of meat. He came back two hours later and tried to steal another $178 worth of meat.
Store security apprehended him and turned him over to police. He was charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. He was released from custody with several conditions, including a 7 p.m. curfew.
Then at 7:45 p.m., police found him walking down Richmond Street. They arrested him for breaching his release conditions. He remains in custody pending a bail hearing.
The day before that, police said, the young offender also stole $100 worth of meat from Sobeys. Police said he went into the Park Avenue West store around 11:30 p.m., picked out the meat then left without paying for it.
Police initially thought two different people were responsible for the thefts at each grocery store, but have since learned it was the same person.
Anyone with information can about the thefts call Const. Paul Myers at 519-436-6600 ext. 82512. You can also make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
