Man arrested after alleged Harrison Avenue, Olympia store theft

Officers from the Olympia Police Department responded to a theft reported at 2725 Harrison Avenue NW on Thursday, March 21, at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Dispatch informed officers that the suspect, identified as Shane Connor, was allegedly involved in stealing merchandise from the same location earlier in the day.

The initial encounter with Connor occurred at 6:30 p.m. when the Olympia Fire Department responded to reports of him lying on the store’s floor and not responding.

The individual refused medical assistance and left the premises.

An hour later, a store employee reported that the same individual had stolen a bag and sewing kit from inside the establishment.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers observed Connor heading towards the store's west side.

The police officers promptly intercepted and informed him of the ongoing theft investigation.

“Connor denied stealing anything and said he was looking for his backpack when he went inside the store,” officers stated in the police report.

However, the store employee positively confirmed the suspect as the one who stole various store merchandise.

The witness said that the suspect had store merchandise in a shopping cart and stated, “the suspect walked to the front of the store, grabbed a gray bag, and left the store with the bag passing all points of sale and not offering any forms of payment.”

Further investigation led to the recovery of the stolen merchandise, valued at $1,089, near bushes on the store's west side.

Because of the witness statement and the recovered stolen merchandise, the suspect was taken into custody and transported to Thurston County Jail on charges of second-degree theft.