Police say a Maricopa man was arrested after an alleged shoplifting attempt at Fry’s Marketplace ended with him leaving his niece behind in the parking lot.
According to a probable cause statement, a security guard saw Leonard Burton, 43, and a girl leave the store on John Wayne Parkway around 12:40 p.m. on Sept. 5 without paying for about $430 in merchandise.
When the guard approached Burton, police say he dropped the bags, pushed the girl aside and ran to his vehicle. Store security told police the girl tried to get into the vehicle before Burton yelled at her and drove away without her.
Police arrested Burton at a home in the Villages about an hour later on suspicion of shoplifting, assault and endangerment. InMaricopa reported Burton was also arrested in July for allegedly shoplifting nearly $1,000 in merchandise from Walmart.
