Alleged Thief Tried to Sell Stolen Items to Shoppers, Police Say

A man who police say was seen selling items in a Philadelphia Premium Outlets parking lot has been charged with stealing those items earlier that day.

A store manager at the Coach outlet called police on March 1 to report that items had been taken from the store and that a man had been seen selling items in the parking lot near the Ann Taylor store. Police were unable to locate the suspect at that point, but asked mall security to notify them if he was seen again. 

An hour after the initial call, mall security identified a suspect, matching a description given by the store manager, near the mall bus stop carrying four large shopping bags. 

That suspect, 44-year-old Daryl Dent of Philadelphia, reportedly claimed the bags belonged to his cousin, who Dent told police was named "John". 

The Coach store manager arrived at the bus stop and identified Dent. The manager told police she had seen him in the store earlier in the day and was suspicious but was unable to monitor his activities. 

After Dent left the store, police say, a customer returned to the store and told the staff that someone tried to sell him Coach items in the parking lot.

When the store's surveillance video was checked, police say it showed Dent taking several wallets and a tote bag from the store and hiding them in his large shopping bags. 

When Dent's person and his shopping bags were searched, police say they found several items that Dent did not have a receipt for. 

Those items included: 

• 3 Coach wallets and a Coach tote valued at $216.22
• A Toys R Us toy helicopter, valued at $74.19
• Converse sneakers valued at $34.90
• Timberland boots valued at $99.99
• 2 Columbia jackets valued at $99.80
• 2 Guess neckalces valued at $29.98
• 2 Van Heusen undershirts valued at $29.06
• Jockey underwear valued at $206.50
• 5 pieces of Izod clothing valued at $70.54
• 3 pieces of Polo Ralph Lauren clothing valued at $179.97

Police checked with all of the named stores and verified that all the items in Dent's possession were offered for sale at those stores.

Dent was arrested and charged with ten counts of felony retail theft and ten counts of misdemeanor receiving stolen property. He was arraigned, bail was set at $10,000 cash and Dent was remanded to Montgomery County Correctional Facility pending a preliminary hearing.