Police called to Home Depot for shoplifting incidents twice in same week

Myrtle Beach police were called out to the same Home Depot store twice this week for shoplifting incidents – one involved a man allegedly leaving with a pressure washer worth $1,000, the other involved a woman allegedly hiding plumbing parts in her pants, according to police reports.

Police were called after they said a man went into the Home Depot store at 951 Oak Forest Lane, near Seaboard Street, about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, selected a Dewalt-brand pressure washer from the garden area, and then left the store without paying for it, according to the incident report.

A 38-year-old loss prevention employee at the store told police he saw the suspect leave the area with another man, driving a red Ford Ranger with a North Carolina license plate. Police said they ran the license plate of the truck, and it came back registered to a 2002 Toyota Tundra.

Authorities are working to identify the suspect and have obtained surveillance footage.

The investigation is ongoing and the Home Depot employee told police he would contact them if the suspect is seen in the store again.

Arrests in connection with the incident had not yet been made as of Friday morning.

Police were called in the first shoplifting incident on 12:35 p.m. Tuesday after a woman was seen allegedly taking and hiding plumbing equipment down her pants.

Idena Michelle Thomas, 40, whose hometown was not listed, was charged with shoplifting, according to the police report.

A 38-year-old employee told police he saw Thomas take copper plumbing fitting equipment, valued at $43.72, hide them in her pants, and then leave the store without paying for the items, authorities said.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Police called to Home Depot for shoplifting incidents twice in same week."