Evan Potts, Richard Alvarez and Erik Brodie are all charged with theft. Court documents state the manager of Journeys shoe store says that Potts, an employee of the store, closed down the business on May 23 and that the rear door was left open, the store alarm was not set and she identified Potts' vehicle on mall surveillance video. She also told police she believed Richard Alvarez was involved because he is a former employee.
Surveillance video showed three suspects loading large boxes of merchandise, the manager told police.
Police say they received a Crime Stoppers tip naming the three suspects, detailing how the theft occurred and saying that Richard Alvarez put the stolen items into a storage unit which was rented by his father, David Alvarez, on the same day as the crime.
Among the items taken were cash, 289 pairs of shoes, 70 t-shirts, 25 sets of headphones, four wallets, four backpacks, three pairs of sunglasses, 15 belts, and two toys worth $20,766.
According to court documents, police searched the storage unit and found many of the stolen items. They say David Alvarez told them that he bought the merchandise from Potts.
Police say Richard Alvarez told them that Potts broke into Journeys, brought the stolen merchandise to his house and that he and his dad hid the items in the storage unit.
Both Brodie and Potts say they entered Journeys with Richard Alvarez, but the two each claim the other planned and organized the heist, according to police.
