By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to the K-Mart store on Middlesex Ave. Saturday evening on reports of shoplifting in progress.

Arriving officers were advised that a man, later identified as Brian Belew, of Chelsea, had been observed by loss prevention personnel cutting open boxes containing expensive perfume with a knife and concealing the bottles on his person.

The officers made their way to the fragrance aisle and confronted Belew, asking him to keep his hands where they can be seen where his knife was.

Belew reportedly failed to answer the officer’s question, but a quick search turned up the knife, which had been concealed in the cuff of Belew’s sweatshirt.

As the officers secured the knife they reportedly spotted bulges in the arms of the sweatshirt, whereupon Belew told them, “Those are the perfume boxes,” according to police.

Belew was led to the Loss Prevention Office of the store where he was searched more closely. According to reports, several bottles of perfume were found hidden in the waistband of Belew’s boxer shorts.

According to police accounts, Belew had taken bottles of Calvin Klein “Euphoria,” Calvin Klein “Eternity,” Calvin Klein “Obsession,” Tommy Girl, and Burberry “London.” The total cost of all items was $281.55.

Belew was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with larceny over $250.