Violent Walmart thief: Help ID suspect who turned shoplift into felony assault

WANTED IN PIERCE COUNTY – Surveillance video from the Walmart in Spanaway shows a guy lollygagging through the store last week. You can tell security thinks he's up to something as the camera stays on him. He later grabs a sweatshirt off a rack and starts heading towards the doors. That's when Pierce County detectives say his calmness turned to chaos -- punching a worker who tried stopping him from escaping with the stolen hoodie.

"This starts out as a simple shoplift,” said Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer. “It's a $17 sweatshirt, but once he assaulted the store employee on the way out it turns it into a felony. So, a person that will go do a simple shoplift and actually resort to assault to escape is somebody we want to get identified because he's probably out doing shoplifts every day and we don’t want anybody else to get hurt."



He looks white and lanky. He wore a black beanie, baggy gray hoodie and baggy dark pants – and I really want you to pay close attention to that blue bandana he had hanging down from his front, right pants pocket -- maybe that's a look he normally sports and a great clue to help someone identify him. It also looks like he's got earbuds or headphones hanging around his neck.

If you know his name, use the P3 Tips App to submit your information to Crime Stoppers, or call the hotline at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).