• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Target shoplifter gets jail term, probation

Photo

Carlos Garcia

ELKHORN — A Delavan man convicted of shoplifting thousands of dollars in merchandise from a Lake Geneva store over several weeks was placed on three years probation Wednesday and ordered to serve 90 days in the Walworth County Jail.

Carlos Garcia, 33, pleaded guilty to two criminal counts of shoplifting prior to receiving his punishment.

Judge William Kennedy accepted a plea agreement struck between the defendant and district attorney's office.

Kennedy warned Garcia that he was "establishing a reputation of becoming a professional thief.

"If you continue this lifestyle of stealing, the next judge will not accept such a mild sentence."

Kennedy told Garcia that if he stole again, he likely would end up in prison "for a long time."

Garcia apologized to the court for his criminal actions.

According to criminal complaints:

During the height of his six-day summer shoplifting spree, Garcia walked out of Target stores unchallenged with electronics, vacuums, clothes and baby diapers.

Store security caught on to Garcia's activities after reviewing store security cameras. He tried walking out of Target with two LCD TVs after disabling the anti-theft devices on the packaging.

Store security stopped him at the door and asked him for a receipt, which Garcia could not produce. He claimed to be returning the merchandise. He then left one TV at the store and took the other to his car.

Garcia later was apprehended for trying to steal more than $500 in merchandise from Kohl's Department Store in Delavan.