| By Big Radio News Staff |
An Oklahoma man is charged with stealing more than $800 worth of Pokémon cards from Target in Janesville.
The criminal complaint says Target’s loss-prevention officer tried to stop Aaron Piazza, 38, of Oklahoma City on his way out of the store, but Piazza threatened the employee, and they let Piazza go.
Piazza left Target in a car and was followed to Hy-Vee by an officer in plain clothes and an unmarked car. Piazza parked his car and fled through the back of the grocery store. Police contacted Piazza through a woman who was traveling in Piazza’s car, but he said he had already left and was in Illinois.
Police proceeded to the Pontiac Towneplace Suites hotel, where the plainclothes officer suspected he saw Piazza in the lobby but did not immediately confront him. Piazza was wearing a different shirt and had a bag from a nearby clothing store.
The plainclothes officer left the hotel and returned wearing a police vest, and he and a team of officers began clearing the hotel and found Piazza hiding in a second-floor linen closet after spotting blood on the door handle.
During the arrest, police found Piazza had two knives and a pouch containing three throwing stars in his possession.
Charges against Piazza include felony retail theft of more than $500, robbery with threat of force, resisting an officer and carrying a concealed knife. He is being held at the Rock County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
He previously was convicted in Florida of smuggling contraband into prison, theft of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm or other weapon.
