Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputies successfully worked with Wal-Mart Asset Protection Associates to arrest Hugo Rivera, 32 of San Tan Valley, for allegedly shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Store, located on W. Hunt Hwy., in San Tan Valley, AZ. Rivera is an employee of the Arizona Department of Corrections as a Corrections Officer in Florence, AZ.
Rivera is alleged to have shoplifted at this Wal-Mart location three separate times within a two week period. In each of the incidents, a male subject pushed a loaded grocery cart full of merchandise out of the store, making no attempt to pay for the items. Additionally, in each instance, the subject had a young female – later determined to be his 4-year-old daughter – with him during the course of the theft. Based on a review of the missing items, the suspect was taking household products, such as linens, detergent, dish soap, wine, beer and small appliances.
Pinal County Sheriff’s became involved on Wed., Dec. 3, 2014 at approximately 5:30 p.m., when Deputies were alerted and responded to a shoplifting actively underway. The suspect departed the area prior to Deputies arriving, but the store’s asset protection team provided law enforcement with still photographs and digital video of the suspect and the vehicle he left in. Employees told responding Deputies that they believed this suspect was the same individual from a theft, which occurred on Wed., Nov. 26, 2014 – the day before Thanksgiving.
On Tues., Dec. 9, 2014 at approximately 4:12 p.m., Pinal County Dispatch was again contacted by store employees and informed that the same individual, later identified as Hugo Rivera, was at the store and attempting to shoplift. Deputies responded to the location and made contact with Rivera as he was exiting the store.
After apprehending Rivera, Deputies were informed by store associates that he signed and dated a Trespass Notice in June 2014, prohibiting him from entering any property owned by Wal-Mart. The Notice being issued was the result of one of two separate counts of shoplifting at the Greenfield and U.S. Hwy. 60 Wal-Mart location, in Mesa, AZ.
The approximate value of the merchandise believed to have been removed from the San Tan Valley store totaled nearly $1,100.00 ($1093.35).
Rivera was taken to PCSO’s San Tan Valley Substation for questioning and later booked into the Pinal County Sheriff’s Jail on three counts each of Theft, Burglary and Organized Retail Theft; each a felony.
Sheriff Babeu stated, “It is alleged that for the last two weeks in Pinal County this suspect carted around his 4-year-old daughter while shoplifting. Parents should be setting a good example for their children; not using them as a distraction while they commit crimes.”
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