Police said a video shows the teens inside the Dollar General store loading up laundry baskets with stuff. The teens check to make sure no one is watching — then sneak out of a side door —making off with about $500 worth of products.
That’s when the teens head to the Upper Valley Mall, where they allegedly steal more items from Spencer’s, police said.
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“Later we get a call of a fight in progress referencing a shoplifting incident at Spencer’s at the mall,” said Lt. Russell Garman of the German Township Police Department.
In that 9-1-1 call to police, a woman tells police, “they’re fighting, knocking over stuff, stealing, we need someone out here fast.”
Ryan Cyphers, a manager of a store inside the Upper Valley Mall, said when he saw the teens leaving he tried to confront them and they jumped him.
“They just all jumped on me. Just all of a sudden. Finally shook them all off and pulled my phone out,” Cyphers said.
Cyphers pulled his phone out to take a video of the teens, assaulting other people in the mall who were attempting to call 9-1-1. A 65-year-old man received a broken hand in the scuffle, police said. Cyphers is OK, although he suffered a black eye.
After police got their hands on the video they posted screenshots of the teens on their social media pages, asking the public for tips.
“With the assistance of their mother and social media, we were able to identify one of the males and females in the video,” Garman said.
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Three of the teens, two brothers a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old, and a sister, also 15-years-old, all from Springfield, have been arrested as a result of the crime spree.
They are now facing several charges including complicity to theft, robbery, drug paraphernalia and assault.
Cyphers said if he could give the teens any advice, it would be to think before acting.
“Think twice before you walk into a place and act the way you did,” Cyphers said.