By Jim Clark

Police received a call from Kmart Loss Prevention last Thursday regarding a shoplifter who had just fled the store. They reported that they were currently watching the suspect in front of the Steve Madden store.

Officers were dispatched to the area and the suspect, later identified as Pedro Rodriguez Hernandez, was located standing in front of the Brooks Brothers store.

Kmart Loss Prevention was on scene, and reportedly told the officers that Hernandez had concealed multiple items, including clothing, electronic razors, headphones, candy, etc., inside a small backpack, which he then concealed in a paper Christmas Tree Shop bag.

He allegedly also stole a full size Kmart backpack, which he threw over his shoulder before exiting the store. In total, the loss to Kmart amounted to $139.92.

Hernandez was placed under arrest for shoplifting by concealing merchandise and escorted to the transport wagon.

As he was about to enter the transport wagon, Hernandez repeatedly requested to go to the hospital for treatment. Once inside the transport wagon, Hernandez reportedly banged his head against the side of the wagon so he could create an injury requiring medical treatment.

Once at the station, Hernandez reportedly insisted that he should go to the hospital. He was subsequently transported to Cambridge Hospital while police officers followed in a cruiser.

The EMTs told police that Hernandez reportedly “celebrated” once he was inside the back of the ambulance, as he believed he succeeded in evading arrest.

At Cambridge Hospital, Hernandez was cleared by both medical doctors and mental health doctors, who believed he was faking to get out of being arrested. He was discharged from the hospital, and transported back to the station for booking.

After Hernandez’s initial transport to the station, police conducted a follow-up at Kmart, where they viewed surveillance footage of the incident.

On camera, they clearly observed Hernandez walk through the store selecting items which he then concealed in the small backpack, and Christmas Tree Shop bag.

Hernandez was accompanied by an associate while walking through the store, and waited near the registers with the concealed merchandise while the associate paid for his own merchandise.

After the associate paid, Hernandez was seen walking around the registers, then out the store entrance. Kmart Loss Prevention officers were able to recover the stolen merchandise past the store threshold, as Hernandez ditched it while fleeing.