(FreedomBeacon.com)- According to police, a pair of thieves have recently been targeting Walmarts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
The two men go through the check-out line and when the cash drawer opens, they claim to be armed and then grab the money.
Last week, the thieves hit the Bensalem Walmart in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. According to law enforcement, that same Walmart was also targeted in mid-May.
Another Walmart in Warminster Township was also robbed by the pair on the same day as the Bensalem robbery.
One of the suspects has worn the same hoodie with the words “I didn’t do it” during multiple thefts. The thieves have also been using the same getaway vehicle for each of the robberies, a black Lexus ES 250.
The pair have also hit Walmarts in Oxford, Pennsylvania, Deptford, New Jersey, Burlington, New Jersey, New Castle, Delaware, and Aberdeen, Maryland.
According to the New York Times, FBI assault data reveals that assaults in retail establishments have been increasing at a faster rate than the national average.
From 2018 to 2020, assaults reported to the FBI by local law enforcement agencies increased overall by 42 percent. But assaults in grocery stores increased 63 percent over the same period. Likewise, assaults in convenience stores increased a staggering 75 percent.
Tracking retail thefts, however, has been more complicated since many prosecutors are refusing to pursue prosecution and retailers rarely press charges.
Punishments for retail theft have been eased significantly to reduce incarceration. Many states have lifted the felony theft threshold to $1,000 or more, meaning even if a store reports the theft, police departments aren’t likely to consider it a priority.
