Philadelphia police are looking for help tracking down a person they say turned an alleged shoplifting confrontation into a chemical-spray attack on the 4600 block of Frankford Avenue on March 31. According to investigators, surveillance footage shows the individual taking items from a shelf, then moving into another aisle to hide the merchandise before store employees confronted them. Police say both workers were sprayed with a chemical agent, though no serious injuries have been reported, and no arrests have been announced.
Surveillance footage released to the public
According to FOX 29 Philadelphia, investigators released surveillance video that appears to show the suspect removing items and then allegedly deploying a spray when employees stepped in. The business has not been publicly identified, and police are asking anyone who recognizes the person in the footage to come forward. FOX 29 credits the Philadelphia Police Department as the source of the information.
Retail-theft push continues across the city
The Frankford Avenue encounter comes as the Philadelphia Police Department ramps up its retail-theft efforts this month, including undercover operations that led to dozens of arrests at CVS locations, according to 6ABC. Police say those stings are part of a wider effort to combat organized and repeat theft that retailers and neighbors have been complaining about in recent months.
How to help
Anyone with information about the Frankford Avenue incident is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department. Tips can be phoned in to 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submitted online through the department’s contact page, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. Investigators have not released a detailed suspect description beyond the surveillance images and have not announced any charges as of Monday.
