SAN ANTONIO – A 19-year-old theft suspect is accused of targeting Target stores in three different counties and stealing thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise.
Christopher Mendez Jr., 19, was arrested Wednesday in connection with thefts at two stores in San Antonio. However, he also is a suspect in similar crimes at Target stores in Comal and Hays counties.
An arrest affidavit stated that Mendez was caught on surveillance cameras in all of the businesses and that a loss prevention worker for Target recognized him from the video and made the connection.
In the affidavit, San Antonio police said Mendez first walked into a store on Highway 281 near TPC Parkway on Nov. 1 and took more than $700 worth of GoPro video cameras and accessories without paying for them.
They said about three hours later, he went to a Target in the 700 block of NW Loop 410 and stole two of the same type of video cameras worth about $600.
According to the affidavit, he then committed similar crimes on Nov. 3 at other two locations of the retail giant-in New Braunfels and San Marcos-stealing nearly $2,000 worth of cameras and vacuum cleaners.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office also received a report on Nov. 12 about a theft at a Target store on FM 78.
Mendez was arrested by San Marcos police at the time of the theft in that city.
The affidavit stated that the Target's loss prevention manager reviewed surveillance video of that crime and recognized Mendez as the man who was wanted in connection with all of the other cases.
Mendez was formally charged in connection with only the San Antonio cases on Wednesday.