Hastings employee prevents TV theft

COEUR d'ALENE - A quick-thinking cafe employee at the Hastings store in Coeur d'Alene prevented a woman from stealing a television Monday afternoon.

The woman entered the store through the cafe entrance just before 5:30 p.m. and minutes later set off the store's theft alarms while exiting the store, according to a Coeur d'Alene Police Department incident report.

With a 32-inch flatscreen TV, valued at $300, in her right hand, the woman continued outside.

"She put the TV box in the bed of the waiting truck and got into the passenger side door," the report states. "He (the employee) got on the side of the truck bed and grabbed the TV."

The report adds that the driver of the truck - described as a silver or white Dodge Dakota with an extended cab and Dodge Ram-head sticker in the middle of the rear window - then drove out of the parking lot heading westbound on Appleway Avenue.

When he was later interviewed by an officer, the employee said that last week someone had successfully stolen a television from the store in a similar manner and employees were made aware of the incident.

He added he believes the female he prevented from stealing the television is the same person that successfully stole one previously.

"The female suspect was in the store for two minutes and had another party waiting to assist in the egress," the report stated.

"If this is the same suspect from the earlier incident, then this is a continuing trend."