A Farmington couple reportedly involved in numerous shoplifting incidents was caught Feb. 5 after their infant fell out of a shopping cart at Goodwill.
Farmington Police Officer Thomas Hyatt began his investigation into Correy Alcon, 31, and Esperanza Benavidez, 23, after recognizing them from video footage provided by Goodwill. Police responded to the store in response to an infant falling “out of a cart by way of a front flip,” according to the affidavit for arrest warrant.
In the video, the “parents immediately pick the child up and attempt to console it before leaving the store.” The video also provide footage of the couple’s car, a silver Chevrolet HHR, which helped police track down the couple in order to check on the child. Police found that Benavidez and Alcon took the child “to the emergency room and he was released without life threatening injuries,” the affidavit for arrest warrant states.
During the investigation, officer Hyatt learned that Alcon and Benavidez are a couple and Alcon allegedly was “a suspect in a string of shopliftings in the Farmington area that involved a silver Chevrolet HHR,” according to the affidavit for arrest warrant.
Officer Hyatt with the assistance of Farmington Police Community Service Officers compiled case numbers for multiple shopliftings at Target, Dollar Tree and Home Depot. He visited with asset production officers and management at these locations and viewed store video, which reportedly showed Benavidez and Alcon shoplifting.
In most instances either Benavidez or Alcon allegedly would enter the store with their infant and then proceed to hide items in their son’s diaper bag or in the baby carrier.
Benavidez reportedly told police one of them would enter the store and the other would drive and “their mode of shoplifting was to fill a backpack style diaper bag with items and leave the store,” according to the affidavit for arrest warrant.
“Benavidez stated they only stole food and diapers because money was tight,” the affidavit states, however the investigation and videos reportedly showed the couple taking electronics, gaming items and power tools, which were then allegedly pawned at either East Main Pawn or Big Arrow Pawn.
The total retail value for items sold at pawnshops was $1,213, and the total cost of items reportedly stolen from Target was $573.89, according to police records.
Police arrested Benavidez and Alcon charging both of them with three 4th degree felony shoplifting charges and one 4th degree felony receiving stolen property charge.
