By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Home Depot store on Mystic Ave. last Sunday on reports of a shoplifter who refused to stop for the store Asset Protection Specialist.

The alleged shoplifter, later identified as Marc Jacob, was detained behind Home Depot by a police detective.

As the additional officers arrived, they observed the detective ordering Jacob to stop tensing up and drop the bags he was holding.
A pat frisk of Jacob was subsequently conducted for officer safety which turned up two sets of pliers in his pants pockets.

Jacob reportedly had a reusable TJ Maxx bag on him that contained two cutlery sets and two packaged folding knives in it.

Home Depot’s Asset Protection Specialist was on the scene with the detective and confirmed that Jacob was the shoplifter in question.
Jacob was then escorted back to Home Depot’s Asset Protection Office.

The Asset Protection Specialist told police that Jacob entered the store with a few reusable bags and a shopping cart. He then began walking around the store and place items in the bags, which were in the cart.

Jacob then reportedly took the bags out of the cart and proceeded to walk out of the door, passing all points of sale.

The Asset Protection Specialist attempted to stop Jacob, but he reportedly dropped two of the three reusable bags and continued out of the store.

When asked if Jacob had done this before, the Asset Protection Specialist said that he did have him on camera shoplifting one time prior but he was unable to stop him.

While retrieving the stolen Home Depot goods from the bags, it was discovered that the two cutlery sets were not from Home Depot. Police checked with TJ Maxx and the manager stated that they were Bed Bath and Beyond items.

Police checked with Bed Bath and Beyond and confirmed that two of the cutlery sets were taken from the store that day. The total of the two cutlery sets came to $212.48

While checking Bed Bath and Beyond, the Asset Protection Specialist found a record that Jacob was trespassed from Home Depot on June 16, 2018 for three years. The trespass notice was reportedly signed by Jacob.

Jacob was placed under arrest on charges of trespassing and larceny under $1200 and taken to police headquarters for booking in the usual manner.