TACOMA, WASH. — Police arrived at the Commons Mall last weekend and arrested a man trying to steal Lego sets from Target.
Employees recognized the man for a string of previous thefts from the mall and called the police while he was back in the store.
Officers had arrested the suspect moments before a nearby witness told police they noticed the man had thrown a handgun into a bush.
The gun was found by the officers and removed. Investigation revealed that the suspect was a 10 times convicted felon with multiple warrants for his arrest and that the gun was stolen.
During his arrest, the man claimed that he had taken fentanyl so police took him to the hospital where he was cleared by medical staff and booked into the King County Jail.
The man is being investigated for possession of a stolen firearm and violation of the uniformed firearms act.
Shoplifting misdemeanor charges are expected to be filed soon.