Breast Pump Thief Assaults Target Loss Prevention Officer

PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities asked for the public's help Thursday to find a breast pump thief who is now suspected of assaulting a loss prevention officer.

A man has been stealing Medela breast pumps from Target stores throughout the Los Angeles County area, detectives from the Los Angeles County sheriff's Palmdale Station said.

Detectives say the thief goes into the store, selects several breast pumps, ranging in price from $170 to $400, and switches the UPC scanning labels with less expensive Medela items. Several Target stores have already been victimized and are alerting other locations about this man and his motives.

A loss prevention officer recently recognized the man leaving a Target store with the Medela pumps and approached him to question him about the merchandise, sheriff's officials said. The thief became combative and physically assaulted the loss prevention officer before running out of the store.

The thief is described a white man between 45 and 55 years old, 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, with brown hair and a mustache. His vehicle is described as a possible Jeep Cherokee, model year 2000 to 2013, silver in color with a rear hitch rack.

Anyone with information about the suspect's identity can contact Detective Luter of the Palmdale Sheriff's Station at (661) 272-2472.