By Ryan Yousefi

A man was charged with grand theft after an investigation by Coral Springs Police connected him to shoplifting crimes across multiple Target locations.  

For two months, the Coral Springs Police Department had teamed with both of the Target’s located in Coral Springs to identify and arrest Michael John Roberts, 28, of Coconut Creek for a string of retail thefts.

On August 17, police finally caught up with Roberts as he attempted to pull off his latest heist.

A be on the lookout call (BOLO) had been issued to all store employees at the Target at 4400 N State Road 7. An employee recognized Roberts loading his shopping cart with items similar to those he had allegedly in the past. However, this time, Roberts appeared to be spooked and exited the store without stealing the items. Police arrested him in the store parking lot for outstanding warrants and prior thefts before he could escape.

The interest in locating and apprehending Roberts began back on May 25, when the Coral Springs Police Department received a call from the Target located at 9600 Westview Drive about a man that had left the store without paying for a cart full of expensive items. 

Once an investigation was launched, police began reviewing store security cameras. They saw Roberts placing three Dyson air purifiers and a Dyson vacuum in his cart, bypassing all point of sale, and exiting the store for a total value of just under $2000. 

Target theft prevention employees told police they also suspected that Roberts was responsible for additional thefts at other Target stores in the area. At that time, police opened a broader investigation that eventually led to his capture. 

Even after Roberts’ arrest, Target and CSPD continued their investigation to determine how long and how broad his crime spree had been.

On August 27, Target concluded a review of all the surveillance footage for each event involving Roberts. After working with CSPD to verify his identity in each instance, Target decided to press additional charges. 

Roberts was arrested and charged with nine counts of grand theft. He is currently in custody at the Broward County main jail.

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