A retail theft suspect fled from Falls Township police last week.
Police said in an affidavit of probable cause that a corporal on patrol spotted a truck last Friday at the Home Depot parking lot in the 400 block of Commerce Boulevard. The truck was reported to be involved in numerous retail thefts, including at the Home Depot store.
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The driver – Matthew Gleason, 32, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section – was stopped by the corporal after he went to drive away in the area of the Dick’s Sporting Goods, police said.
Gleason, according to court papers, had numerous warrants out for his arrest.
Gleason complied with the corporal at first and then began backing away after being told he had warrants, police said.
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As the corporal went to detain Gleason, he fled from his vehicle, causing the corporal to jump to the side to avoid being hit by a pickup truck door, police said.
Law enforcement authorities said Gleason ran across the parking lot and ignored orders to stop. He then ran through traffic and hid under a truck outside the 2nd Avenue Thrift Store.
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As Gleason was ordered out from under the truck, he got up and ran toward the BJ’s Wholesale Club, police said.
Additional officers rushed to the area and captured Gleason, police said.
Gleason was found to have a magnetic device often used to defeat store security devices and a prescription pill bottle with several pills on him, police said.
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Home Depot’s regional manager told investigators Gleason had been arrested before at Home Depot and was under investigation for other thefts.
The regional manager relayed to investigators that Gleason had numerous schemes to steal from Home Depot, including taking tools, police said.
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Last Friday shortly before his arrest, Gleason allegedly attempted to steal merchandise from the Home Depot, police said.
Also last Friday, Gleason was believed to have completed two retail thefts in Home Depot stores in Burlington, New Jersey, and Hamilton, New Jersey, police said.
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Gleason charged with retail theft, flight to avoid apprehension, possession of a controlled substance, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime, unlawful possession of retail theft instruments, and reckless endangerment. He was arraigned by on-call District Judge Kevin Wagner and jailed on 10 percent of $250,000.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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