Pacifica Transient Arrested After Theft at Rite Aid

By Bay City News, Image Via Shutterstock

A 24-year-old man was arrested Sunday evening after he allegedly tried to steal items from a Rite Aid store, struggled with a store employee and then hid in a nearby apartment complex, police said.

Officers responded at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday to a report of a possible shoplifter at the Rite Aid in the Fairmont Shopping Center, located just off of Skyline and Hickey boulevards, according to police.

Store employees had seen the suspect, later identified as Joshua Shargel, a transient from Pacifica, putting items into a bag and then walking out of the store, police said.

Shargel was confronted by a store employee and the pair struggled over the bag. The employee was able to pull the bag away from the suspect, but suffered a small laceration, police said.

Shargel fled but was eventually located hiding in the nearby apartment complex and was identified as the suspect by the store employee and another witness. He was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery, burglary, possession of burglary tools and resisting arrest, according to police.