Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010

Two charged in grocery return scam

Authorities have accused two people of trying to use a bogus receipt to return groceries and then assaulting two store employees who discovered the scheme Aug. 17 at an Aldi supermarket in North Raleigh.

About 10:40 a.m., the suspects, a male and a female, entered the store at 4241 Louisburg Road, grabbed some items and brought them to the checkout line. While there, police say they produced a receipt, claiming they had purchased the groceries earlier and wanted to return them for a refund.

A store employee didn't buy the story and denied the return.

When the employee tried to collect the groceries, one of the suspects struck him in the face. When another employee tried to stop them from leaving the store, she also was hit in the face. The suspects quickly left the store - but not empty handed, police say.

"They fled with cooking oil and trash bags," said Laura Hourigan, a spokeswoman with the Raleigh Police Department.

Authorities broadcast descriptions of the suspects and eventually found them in the Food Lion at 4510 Capital Blvd. later that day.

April Nicole Allen, 29, of Raleigh was charged with one count of common law robbery, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and two counts of assault and battery. She is being held in Wake County jail on $50,000 bond.

Jamatis Daquain Creech, 30, of Raleigh was charged with one count of common law robbery, one count of obtaining property by false pretenses, one count of simple assault and one count of assaulting a female. Creech also is being held on a $50,000 bond.