By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to Assembly Row last Thursday on a report of a suspicious person. The reporting party was an Assembly Row security staffer who was watching a male party that was believed to be involved in a shoplifting incident two days earlier at Brooks Brothers.

Upon arrival, the officers spoke to a witness who reportedly stated that she witnessed a male party ran out of the Express clenching an unknown item close to his chest and the store’s anti-theft alarms were activated. The two security officers followed the individual to the public restroom at the bottom level of the garage at AVA Building, located at 455 Artisan Way.

As the officers made their way to the bathroom, they met with a security officer, who pointed out a male individual, later identified as Michael Wallace, of Boston, who was hurriedly exiting the garage and matched the description of the male suspect they were searching for.

The officers proceeded to stop Wallace at the garage exit and moved to a nearby bench.

Wallace was ordered to remove his hands from his pockets multiple times, but he reportedly did not comply.

Wallace was reportedly not in possession of identification, but verbally identified himself. He was carrying a Carters paper bag, according to reports

Police subsequently learned that Wallace had entered Carters and retrieved the bag without making a purchase. The bag had an open top and within it a jacket was in plain view with a price tag still attached. It was at this time that Wallace was read his Miranda warnings from a pre-printed card. Wallace reportedly told police that he understood his Miranda warning and still wished to speak with them.

Wallace then reportedly admitted to stealing two jackets from Saks Off Fifth Avenue and then removing the theft detection device from each jacket and flushed them down the toilet in the bathroom. The second jacket was being worn by Wallace and the price tags were in plain view. The officers removed the jacket that he was wearing.

The Loss Prevention Officer from Saks Off Fifth responded to the location and identified the stolen merchandise as belonging to his company.

Wallace was placed under arrest and charged with larceny over $250 and removal of theft prevention device.