Fort Worth Police Search for Suspect Who Threatened to Run Over AutoZone Employee During Theft

FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth police are requesting the public's assistance in identifying a retail theft suspect who escalated a shoplifting encounter into a life-threatening incident by threatening to run over a store employee.

The confrontation took place at an AutoZone auto parts store located at 2900 Cleburne Road. Police reports state that a male suspect entered the store in the evening, eventually walking out around 9:30 p.m. without paying for several hundred dollars worth of merchandise. When a store employee followed the man outside in an attempt to retrieve the stolen goods, the suspect got into his vehicle and threatened to run the employee down before speeding off.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic or white male between 20 and 30 years old, standing approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 145 pounds. Police have identified the getaway vehicle as a white 2012 Toyota Tundra crew-cab pickup truck, bearing Texas license plate number VJN8340.

Detectives have released surveillance images of both the suspect and the truck. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect or the location of the vehicle is encouraged to contact the Fort Worth Police Department's robbery unit or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers.