Maricopa County attorney says retail theft cases won’t be handled lightly

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Maricopa County attorney Rachel Mitchell is making her message very clear that stealing from retail stores in Arizona will not be tolerated. Her comments come after a man tried stealing more than $150,000 worth of items last Friday at a mom and pop shop in Old Town Scottsdale. The man accused of trying to steal is Troy Bell. He was initially booked for shoplifting and assault charges. But the Maricopa County attorney’s Office feels it’s appropriate to file more serious charges. Bell could now face time in prison. “This is not the state you want to be in to mimic the behavior you are seeing on the news and other parts of the country such as Los Angeles,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell says people need to understand retail theft is something that will not be handled lightly. “I do not want to see Maricopa County or Phoenix or other surrounding areas turn into the hellscape that is Los Angeles,” Mitchell said.

You may have seen the video of 53-year-old Bell being taken down by bystanders after trying to steal $150,000 worth of items from Marina Jewelers in Old Town Scottsdale Friday morning. “I started screaming and shouting to everyone outside, to all my neighbors, saying, ‘Please stop him! He’s a thief,’” the shop owner said.

She was initially disappointed, but her faith was quickly restored. “The most beautiful story here is everybody united. People who knew us or didn’t know us, they were there for us and came to our rescue and our help and they brought every piece back,” she said.

The crime was a big topic of conversation for Mitchell. Bell was originally booked on shoplifting charges but Mitchell says because of the amount he tried to take, he is now being charged with Class 2 felony theft. This means mandatory prison time. “Again, this is not the state and certainly not the county you want to be in to commit these types of offenses,” she said.

Last July, Mitchell created a team to tackle retail theft. Prosecutors work with local business owners to ensure successful prosecution of these crimes. Mitchell previously said the Los Angeles District attorney will not prosecute retail theft below $1,000 but Wednesday reiterated she will not do the same. “I just want to make it very clear in Arizona that has not been done,” she said.

Bell is also being charged with two counts of criminal impersonation, disorderly conduct and two misdemeanor assault charges. It is still not clear why Bell targeted that specific mom and pop shop.

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