Search continues for smash and grab suspects

By Kevin Jenkins | March 6, 2015 |

Police are looking for four suspects who stole more than $20,000 worth of cell phones from a local retailer.

The Desloge Police Department responded to the Desloge Walmart on Feb. 13 at 3:15 a.m. for a smash and grab that took place in the electronics section.

Desloge Police Chief James Bullock said that an employee was able to run out of the store and get a vehicle description as the thieves fled.

“There were three black males who ran from the store and got into a dark green Mercedes Benz with a Tennessee license plate,” said Bullock. “The employee was able to get a partial plate number. The first three of the plate read L36.”

There are four suspects and they are described as black males who were ages 24, 23, 20 and 16 with brown eyes and black hair. The report stated that three of the four males entered the Desloge Walmart and went back to the area where the phones were located.

“They hung around the area and one of the males broke into the case where the cell phones were being stored,” said Bullock. “They removed all the phones from the packaging and loaded up a backpack with the devices. The packaging was left in the store so they wouldn’t set the alarms off when they ran out the door.”

Bullock added when the suspects ran out the door, the fourth suspect was waiting outside the door in the getaway car. The suspects got away with 34 devices including several models of the Galaxy and iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 phones.

The items were valued at $22,000. In addition to the Desloge Walmart being hit, the Festus Walmart was also burglarized in the early morning hours the same day.

There have been reports that the Walmart in Mayfield, Kentucky, was hit on Jan. 18 and numerous Galaxy and iPhones were stolen from there by the same suspects. They also got away with $21,000 worth of cell phones from the Russellville, Arkansas store on Feb. 4.

The suspects have not been arrested at this time.