Police Blotter 8/1

Samplings of recent calls received by Clovis-area law enforcement officers, according to reports:

Clovis police met Monday morning with a business owner who had a surveillance tape of her employees taking cash for purchases, putting the money beside the cash register, but not putting it in the register.

The owner estimated a total loss of $150.

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Police took a purse theft report Tuesday about 4:30 p.m. A customer at a Clovis store put her purse in the checkout basket while paying for her purchases but the purse was gone when she arrived at her car.

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The loss prevention department of a Clovis business called police to report that at least one and possibly three employees were giving away merchandise.

Surveillance tapes showed that more than $1,000 worth of merchandise was removed from the store. In addition, a customer barred from buying spray paint because management suspected he was “huffing” it was allowed to take spray paint without paying.

The main employee involved said he was allowing customers to take merchandise out of the store because he was afraid for the safety of his children and owed someone a favor, but refused to specify what kind of “favor.”

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Employees of a Clovis business called police about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday after restraining a 47-year-old Portales man who tried to run out of the store with two cartons of cigarettes in his pants. According to police, the Portales was uncooperative and was arrested on charges of shoplifting under $100.

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Police and EMS personnel both responded about noon on Tuesday to a report that a Clovis woman had been beaten up on the corner of 4th and Ross street.

The 21-year-old woman told police that a man and woman took $98 in cash and hit and kicked her repeatedly. EMS transported her to the hospital for treatment.

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A church called police about 11 a.m. on Tuesday reporting that a laptop computer worth about $1,400 was missing from the church. Staff said the computer had been missing since the morning church service on Sunday but had waited to file a report until all employees had confirmed they did not have the computer.

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A 44-year-old Clovis man was arrested for shoplifting Tuesday.

The man had been caught in an aisle removing security tabs from clothing and attempting to leave the store without paying for the clothes. The shopper attempted to leave the store and mildly injured an employee when she tried to restrain him.

After taking the man to jail on charges of assault and shoplifting, police found additional items he had hidden in his clothing.

Police Blotter is compiled by CNJ staff writer Darrell Todd Maurina. He can be contacted at 763-6991 or: [email protected] link