On December 9, Scottsdale Police detectives identified and arrested Robert James Fischer, age 26, for numerous counts of organized retail theft and the trafficking of stolen property.
On December 4, detectives identified an emerging crime trend. In the trend, Fischer targeted convenience stores in the east valley stealing Arizona Lottery Tickets and redeeming the winning tickets for cash. He would enter a convenience store and ask the clerk for Arizona Lottery Tickets. Fischer would then grab the tickets and run out of the store without paying.
In total, Fischer committed 28 thefts from November 27 to December 9. Total loses were in excess of $1300 from stores in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler.