Yesterday afternoon, after receiving a situational awareness update from nearby agencies about a nationwide organized retail theft ring operating in the Middle Tennessee area, Lebanon Police crime analyst began investigating whether the group had moved into Lebanon.
Using SafeNet LPR system, the analyst confirmed that the suspect vehicle had indeed been in Lebanon within the hour. This information was immediately shared with patrol officers, and an extra patrol was requested for local hardware stores.
B Shift officers soon located the suspect vehicle in the Lowe’s parking lot on S. Cumberland Street. As officers prepared to enter the store, they spotted two suspects walking and detained them in the parking lot.
Officers discovered that the suspects had just stolen nearly $1,000 worth of electronic locks from Lowe’s. The 35-year-old female suspect was carrying a purse lined with material designed to block security sensors.
Through coordination with other agencies, police learned that the suspects, both from Ontario, Canada, had entered the U.S. only days earlier and had been stealing from hardware stores across the country as they traveled south.
Both the 33-year-old male and 35-year-old female were arrested without incident.
Further details remain limited since this is an active, multi-agency investigation.
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