The Carrollton Police Department has issued a statement about a shoplifting incident involving two men from Lindale and Calhoun.
On January 15, officers responded to a report from Target’s Asset Protection team about a group of men stealing items from the store. These individuals were known repeat offenders at various Target locations. While some were inside the store selecting merchandise, one man was waiting outside in a vehicle.
When officers arrived, they found and detained Daren McFarland, a 40-year-old from Calhoun, who was in the car. Inside the store, they located Gerald Griffin, 55, from Lindale. Griffin attempted to run away but was caught quickly. Another man, Jacob Smith, 27, from Dalton, was also found in the store and was detained. Both Griffin and Smith had tools that are often used to tamper with anti-theft devices.
During the investigation, officers spoke with the suspects, who confessed to visiting nine different locations in Carrollton earlier that day. Items taken from these stores were discovered in their vehicle.
In total, officers recovered stolen merchandise worth $2,358.32, which has been returned to the stores.
Further investigation revealed that Jacob Smith had outstanding warrants in Floyd County for similar crimes, while Gerald Griffin had active warrants in Bartow County. Additionally, two of the suspects were already out on bond for previous related charges.
