On March 30, 2018, at approximately 14:05 hours, I was contacted by XXXXX Loss Prevention, requesting my assistance with a male shoplifter. Officer Schneider and I made our way, and located the suspect, later identified as Jayson FERGUSON, inside the loss prevention office.

XXXX Loss Prevention told us FERGUSON had concealed sneakers, pants, and a t-shirt, inside a duffle bag he brought into the store with him, totaling $87.97. As I searched the duffle bag for additional stolen merchandise, I located a XXXX tag inside the bag that had been ripped off from an unknown item. The duffle bag appeared to be brand new, with part of a tag still attached, and contained Adidas flip flips and black work gloves that also appeared to be brand new. FERGUSON insisted that he hadn’t stolen these items from anywhere at Assembly Row, and that they had been stolen from stores in Downtown Crossing. As I searched FERGUSON, I located a pair of pliers in his right front pants pocket, a multi-tool in his rear pants pocket, and another pair of pliers in his jacket pocket, along with a removed sensor. Based on my training and experience, pliers and multi-tools are commonly used by shoplifters to remove theft detection devices. It was apparent FERGUSON was using them in this manner as I found a removed sensor in a pocket with the pliers, and he admitted that is what he uses them for. The jacket containing the pliers and sensor still had a store tag on it, and when asked about it, FERGUSON told me he “didn’t have to steal the jacket,” and that he “got it Downtown.”

It should be noted Officer Schneider and I both recognized FERGUSON from previous, yet separate, shoplifting incidents. I had dealt with FERGUSON and his girlfriend, XXXX, when they attempted to shoplift from XXXX back in November, and Officer Schneider dealt with the pair when they stole from XXXX on 2/19/18. In both incidents the suspects were given breaks; however, after Officer Schneider let the two leave, they immediately went to another store at Assembly Row and stole from it. XXXX Loss Prevention told me XXXX had been in the store with FERGUSON handling merchandise, but they did not see her conceal anything, and she left when FERGUSON was apprehended.

FERGUSON was trespassed from XXXX, and sent on his way. I contacted Somerville Police Dispatch and asked them to assign me a report, as I would be taking out a criminal complaint against him for Shoplifting by Concealing Merchandise and Possession of a Theft Detection Removal Device.

At approximately 17:30 hours, before I could complete my criminal complaint for FERGUSON, I was contacted by YYYY Loss Prevention, who stated they had caught him shoplifting. Officer Schneider and I made our way to YYYY, and located FERGUSON in the loss prevention office. We were advised FERGUSON and XXXX were in the store together, and loss prevention witnessed FERGUSON conceal items inside the same duffle bag he had used in XXXX. The concealed items included pliers, an electric heater, marking tags, and a drink, totaling $45.88.

As I searched FERGUSON’s duffle bag for additional merchandise, I located three t-shirts that hadn’t been with him when he was apprehended in XXXX. I recognized the tags on the shirts as belonging to ZZZZ, and FERGUSON admitted he had stolen the shirts from ZZZZ, but claimed he had done so before he went into XXXX. He told me he had stashed the t-shirts outside, so as not to bring them in XXXX with him; however, this excuse didn’t make sense as he had brought them into YYYY with him. In total, the ZZZZ stolen t-shirts amounted to $114.97.

I placed FERGUSON under arrested for Shoplifting by Concealing Merchandise, and Receiving Stolen Property, and trespassed him from YYYY. He immediately began throwing a fit, crying, and repeatedly asking me to cut him a break, to which Officer Schneider and I told him he had had multiple breaks from us before, including the one only an hour beforehand. As we met Unit 200 outside for transport to the station, XXXX approached us. FERGUSON requested I give her his property, and she was given custody of his cell phone, headphones, bag, and Charlie Card. She was also trespassed from YYYY, and left the area.

In addition to the charges he was arrested for, I will also be filing a criminal complaint for FERGUSON for Shoplifting by Concealing Merchandise, and Possession of a Theft Detection Removal Device in regard to the XXXX incident; #18018827.

Respectfully submitted,

Officer Reece

#325