PLANO, Texas — Three repeat offenders were arrested after Plano police officers responded to a theft-in-progress call at a department store on Preston Road, according to the Plano Police Department.
The incident occurred on May 30, 2026, at a store located in the 1700 block of Preston Road. Loss prevention officers reported observing three suspects remove their shoes and replace them with new shoes taken from the store without paying.
Officer J. Johnson quickly responded to the scene and located one of the suspects leaving the store with unpaid merchandise. The suspect was detained in the parking lot.
Officers A. Gill and B. Thurmond detained the other two suspects as they exited the store with merchandise that had not been purchased.
During the encounter, one suspect refused to comply with officers' commands and fled on foot. A brief foot pursuit followed before Officer P. McCullough safely apprehended the suspect nearby.
Investigators determined that all three suspects were involved in an organized retail theft scheme involving merchandise valued at less than $100.
Two of the suspects were additionally charged with Unlawful Use of a Criminal Instrument/Possession with Intent to Use in a Class A Misdemeanor Offense after officers discovered they possessed wire cutters allegedly used to bypass security cables attached to the shoes.
The suspect who fled from officers was also charged with Evading Arrest or Detention.
Plano police credited the coordinated response of patrol officers and store loss prevention personnel for quickly stopping the theft and taking the suspects into custody.
The identities of the suspects were not immediately released.
