By Jim Clark

On Wednesday of last week, Somerville Police received a telephone call from a Home Depot loss prevention officer saying that he observed two known shoplifters place several rolls of wire in a shopping cart and walk towards the exit.

The loss prevention officer described one of the suspects as wearing a reflective jacket and a hard hat, while the other one wore blue jeans and an orange jacket.

Police officers were subsequently dispatched to the store to investigate the report.

Upon arrival, officers observed a man wearing blue jeans and an orange jacket running East towards Mystic Ave., and another man wearing a reflective jacket and a hard hat walking away from the store at a fast pace.

Police stopped the man with the hard hat and identified him as James Bush, of Roxbury. A search for the second suspect was immediately initiated.

An officer observed the second suspect removing his jacket and jumping to the railroad tracks near Lombardi way. An additional unit was requested and an intensive search of the area was conducted.

The second suspect’s jacket was found on the tracks near the Sullivan Square train station, and officers were informed by bystanders that they saw a man matching the suspect’s description walk toward the platform.

As the search for the second suspect continued, Home Depot loss prevention officers briefed police on what had transpired prior to their arrival.

According to the loss prevention officers, Bush was recognized from pictures of individuals involved in organized retail crime. Bush was allegedly involved in other larcenies at the Home Depot in Quincy.

The loss prevention officers said that they saw Bush walk in first from outside the store and the second suspect followed him inside. The two reportedly met up in one of the aisles where Bush directed the second suspect to select twenty rolls of wire, valued at $1299.40 and place them in a shopping cart.

The two suspects reportedly walked towards the exit and stopped there, where Bush tried to distract one of the cashiers.

One of the loss prevention officers reportedly heard Bush tell the second suspect, “No, no, not yet.” Bush then walked up to the second suspect and told him to “chill.” While acting as a lookout, Bush told the second suspect, “Now, now. Let’s go.” That is when the two men reportedly left the store without paying for the merchandise.

All of the items were recovered and returned to Home Depot.

Bush was placed under arrest on charges of conspiracy and larceny over $1200.

The search for the second suspect continues.