March 10, 2020 - 9:55 AM
BATON ROUGE, La. - A Louisiana couple accused of swiping more than $1,000 worth of beer from the shelves of Target stores was arrested on theft charges Sunday, sheriff's office records show.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputies began investigating the beer burglaries last week, according to the agency. The couple made six runs to two Baton Rouge Target locations less than 10 miles (16 kilometres) apart between Feb. 24 and 29, according to sheriff's office documents obtained by news outlets.
Ashley Forbes, 32, and her husband, Matthew Forbes, 35, were captured on security cameras filling shopping baskets with cases of beer before slipping out of the stores without paying, The Advocate reported, citing the sheriff's records.
Authorities said the two were arrested Sunday after they attempted to steal additional merchandise from other stores, including a drill that Matthew Forbes tried to smuggle out in his pants at a Walmart, according to WBRZ-TV. Ashley Forbes was also reportedly caught returning items she hadn't paid for at a Walmart, the station said. The two had been banned from similar stores previously, according to news outlets.
The couple was booked into jail on theft charges, and Ashley Forbes also faces drug charges, records show.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020