Police arrested a 20-year-old, hatchet-wielding man on Saturday evening after he was reported snatching display items from a T.J. Maxx store in North Clairemont.
Store employees called 911 just before 9 p.m. to report that a man was stealing display items while brandishing a hatchet, said San Diego police Sgt. Michael Tansey. It happened at the store located on 4995 Clairemont Drive.
The suspect was taken into custody by officers at a nearby CVS store, police confirmed on Sunday.
The suspect Daniel Martinez of San Diego, took off on a bicycle before police arrived at the scene. Witnesses at the scene directed the officers to a nearby CVS store, where the suspect had entered, Tansey said.
“Officers contacted the suspect inside of the store as he was about to shoplift items from the CVS. The suspect was taken into custody without incident,” he said. “The hatchet and the stolen T.J. Maxx merchandise was recovered from the suspect.”
Martinez was booked into San Diego Central Jail early Sunday on a suspected robbery charge. He is being held on a bail of $100,000, according to the San Diego County’s Sheriff department.
City News Service contributed to this article.
