Lacey law enforcement arrested a man with a history of trespassing and burglary after taking several items from a home improvement store where he had previously been banned.
Lacey Police Department received a call on September 30 from a Home Depot loss prevention employee, informing them that a man with a no-trespass order was inside their store at 1400 Marvin Road NE.
The employee recognized the suspect and contacted the Lacey Police, and continued to watch the man shop. The employee described the man as a white male wearing black pants and a blue and white flannel shirt.
When responding officers arrived at the scene, they saw a man pushing a large shopping cart filled with various items passing outside the exit.
The officers approached the suspect and informed the man that he was being detained for a trespassing investigation.
The man, identified as William Hughes, allegedly had not paid for any items inside the shopping cart he had taken outside.
Hughes was previously arrested for theft, burglary, and trespassing, the last two of which happened this month.
The Home Depot employee stated, "he watched as the suspect passed all points of sale without making any attempt to pay for the items in the cart.”
The employee advised the officers that the total value of the items inside the shopping cart was $999.29.
The police informed Hughes that he had been previously issued a no-trespass order from all Home Depot stores due to theft charges issued on May 2023, which barred him from entering any of the chain’s stores for three years.
When questioned if he planned to steal the items in the shopping cart, Hughes answered, “I thought about it.”
The officers reminded the suspect that exiting the store with a cart full of items without paying constitutes theft.
While searching the suspect’s bag, authorities discovered a drug paraphernalia (pipes) and a small bag of a crystal substance later confirmed to be methamphetamine.
Inside his wallet, the officers found a credit card and a Costco employee ID belonging to Griffin Haskitt.
The responding officers contacted Haskitt who disclosed that his wallet had gone missing on September 9 while at Planet Fitness in Olympia.
Haskitt further stated that the credit card had been used at Target and Champs for $215 but advised the officers that he would not pursue charges against the suspect.
Hughes was transported to Thurston County Jail, where he was booked for 2nd-degree burglary.
The burglary suspect also allegedly had “several non-confirmable warrants out of Olympia” related to theft.
The case has now been referred to the Lacey City Prosecutor’s Office for additional charges of 3rd degree possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.
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