He had a suitcase full of items he didn’t pay for, cops say. Suitcase was stolen, too

Myrtle Beach police were called to the T.J. Maxx on Seaboard Street around 8 p.m. Thursday after a man was seen reportedly attempting to shoplift several items concealed in a suitcase taken from the store.

When officers arrived on scene, police say they were flagged down by a loss prevention officer, who pointed out 35-year-old Eric Heith Isley, of Freeman, West Virginia, in the parking lot.

Police detained Isley, who walked with them back into the loss prevention office in the department store, according to an incident report.

Once there, police said, they saw a suitcase that was in Isley’s possession “filled with items he did not pay for.”

The Nautica suitcase, “which was also stolen from the department store,” contained two sweaters, four shirts, two jackets, a pullover, a face mask, sweatpants, jeans, cologne, beard mist, tweezers and deodorant, valued at a total of more than $359, according to the report.

Isley was charged with shoplifting.

“A criminal history of the offender shows no prior shoplifting charges,” police noted in the report.

This story was originally published December 29, 2017 at 1:39 PM with the headline "He had a suitcase full of items he didn’t pay for, cops say. Suitcase was stolen, too."