Shoplifting Crew Steals Thousands from Home Improvement Stores

The Baltimore County Police asked the public on Tuesday for help in identifying two men who have stolen $100,000 in tools from a Home Depot store in western Baltimore County.

Police said that the two men are associated with a shoplifting crew and were caught on surveillance cameras taking tools. The stolen tools, worth thousands of dollars, usually are Dewalt or Milwaukee tool kits. The thieves typically enter the stores, most commonly Home Depot or Lowes, in groups of two to four people and walk straight to the tool corral area, grab easily carried tool kits, and walk together directly out of the store, police said.

Three members of the shoplifting crew already have been arrested and charged, police said. They were identified as: Eric Sebastian Cooke, 50, from the 500 block of South Longwood Street; Danielle Victoria McCory, 29, from the 2600 block of Harlem Avenue; and, Spencer Whitridge Thomas, 47, from the 2700 block of Harlem Avenue. All three are from Baltimore City.

With the arrests, detectives have cleared 15 shoplifting incidents at home improvement stores, involving the crew of organized criminals. However, police said there are at least 40 documented cases involving this group that covers both Maryland and Delaware.

Police said anyone who recognizes the two men or has any information on these crimes or additional suspects can contact police at 410-307-2020. The crimes remain under investigation by members of the Wilkens Precinct Investigative Services Unit.

–Andrea Duran