Manitowoc police probe organized retail theft group after arrest of 3 Neenah men in connection with Walmart theft

Brandon Reid, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
·2 min read
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MANITOWOC — Manitowoc Police Department said it's investigating an organized retail theft group after three Neenah men were arrested on suspicion of stealing about $2,000 in merchandise from Walmart Supercenter in Manitowoc.

The department said officers were called to the store at 4115 Calumet Ave. Sept. 24 for the report of a retail theft in progress. The store’s asset protection team had identified three people involved in a retail theft of around $2,000, police said in a news release.

While police were responding to Walmart, the suspects fled with the merchandise. They were not initially located or identified, and police said the license plate on the vehicle they were driving had been stolen.

After investigation, three Neenah men were identified as suspects. Manitowoc police said Walmart’s asset protection team had been investigating this group for multiple retail thefts across the state and two of the three had multiple warrants issued for their arrest from different agencies in Wisconsin, most of them for theft-related offenses.

The three men were taken into custody Sept. 28 with help from the United States Marshals Service-Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force.

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All three suspects were listed as inmates at Manitowoc County Jail Sunday night. Manitowoc police said the men may also face criminal charges in a case being investigated by the Neenah Police Department.

Manitowoc police said they are working to identify other victims of the organized retail theft group and anyone with information can contact the department at 920-686-6551 or report tips anonymously by using the P3 app or calling Crime Stoppers at 920-683-4466.

The Herald Times Reporter does not publish the names of suspects until they have been charged with a crime in court.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc police arrest Walmart theft suspects, 3 Neenah men