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Texas woman accused of stealing $2,000 in meat from H-E-B arrested, other woman at large

Marchea Latonya Brooks was arrested Tuesday; police are searching for Latonya Thomas

Latonya Thomas (left) and Marchea Latonya Brooks are accused of stealing meat from an H-E-B in Temple, police say. (Temple police/Associated Press)

SAN ANTONIO – Authorities have arrested one of two women seen in a viral video allegedly stealing $2,000 in meat from a Central Texas H-E-B.

Marchea Latonya Brooks, 40, was arrested Tuesday by the Bell County Sheriff’s Department and charged with six counts of theft and failure to identify herself, according to Temple police and jail records.

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Her bail amount totals $28,000, Bell County jail records show.

Police said that her accomplice, 53-year-old Latonya Thomas, is still on the run.

They are accused of stealing the beef on April 15, Good Friday, at the H-E-B in the 3000 block of South 31 Street in Temple.

An employee noticed the theft and tried to stop them in the parking lot, police said.

“The employee confronted them and tried to pull the cart away, but they were able to load all of the meat into their vehicle,” police previously said in a news release. “The same suspects let a shopping cart run into another vehicle in the parking lot, damaging it.”

The incident was captured on video by a bystander, and it showed one suspect loading ground beef, brisket and other meat products into a trunk while another suspect stayed by the passenger’s side door.

The employee who tried to stop the theft also recorded the incident.

“Each different business typically has their own policy when it comes to employees and whether they should or should not intervene during something like this,” Deputy Chief Jeff Clark told 6News. “My recommendation is to be the best witness.”

See the full video obtained by 6News here.

Police said anyone with information about Thomas’ whereabouts is asked to contact Temple Police Department at 254-298-5500 or the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477.

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About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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