Man using walker steals $11K worth of cigarettes from Walgreens, police say

WILMINGTON, Del. — A man using a walker is accused of stealing more than $11,000 worth of cigarettes from a Walgreens store last week, authorities said.

According to a Facebook post by the Delaware State Police, the thief took the smokes from the store, located on New Linden Road in Wilmington, on June 13. Authorities calculated the loss at $11,000.

“Yes, you read that right -- eleven thousand dollars’ worth of smokes!” police wrote.

Surveillance video from the store showed the suspect, dressed in a red T-shirt and pants, using a walker to navigate the store. There was a red bag attached to his walker, according to the video.

According to state police, an employee was in a different section of the store. That allowed the alleged shoplifter to go behind the counter and grab the cigarettes, police said. He apparently packed them away in the bag and the walker before making his getaway.

The state police released screen grabs from the surveillance video, asking the public for assistance.

Statistics are unclear as to how much a carton of cigarettes cost in Delaware. Various sources place it at $55, although other sources show that a 10-pack carton could cost as much as $78, depending on the location.

If one takes the low number, that means the alleged thief would have to smuggle approximately 200 cartons or its equivalent if the state police estimates are correct.

It was unclear from the video how long it took the alleged thief to walk away with the cigarettes, how many trips he had to make to steal that many, or whether he had an accomplice who would have distracted the employee.

The walker the alleged thief was pushing also appeared to have a compartment under its seat that was capable of stacking cigarette cartons, although it was unclear how many could be piled on.

An investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information can contact the state police at 302-633-5000 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-847-3333.

“Your tip could be the match that lights up this case!” police wrote on Facebook.

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