SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — A man accused of traveling the country and stealing products from home improvement stores before returning them for money was apprehended in Utah on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Manuel Gonzalez, 52, was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail and faces second-degree felony retail theft, theft, and pattern of unlawful activity.
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According to court documents, Gonzalez would go to home improvement stores and pick a boxed item such as a bathroom vanity. He would allegedly then fill the box with electrical breakers and check out, hiding the breakers and only paying for the bathroom vanity. Police claim Gonzalez would then return to the store with the boxed item for a full refund.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office said Gonzalez would do this from state to state. According to court documents, Gonzalez targeted dozens of stores in Utah from Layton to St. George, defrauding stores of over $82,000.
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