Kent Police arrest seven in Safeway shoplifting sting

Published 12:32 pm Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Kent Police arrested seven people as part of a shoplifting sting last week at the Safeway on the East Hill at the southwest corner of Kent-Kangley Road and 132nd Avenue SE.

The Crime Reduction Unit, formed in 2024, organized the crackdown with assistance from patrol officers and Safeway’s loss prevention team, according to a Sept. 29 Kent Police social media post.

The arrests included eight misdemeanor charges, six misdemeanor warrants and one felony warrant, according to police. Officers recovered hundreds of dollars of merchandise that they returned to the store.

“We have run several of these operations over the past two years and have posted about them on our social media channels prior,” Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla said in a Sept. 29 email. “We have worked with several large retailers including Target, Fred Meyer, Lowe’s and others.”

Padilla said the department also has worked with stores on other ways to reduce retail theft.

“Beyond shoplifting stings, we have worked with store management teams and loss prevention agents to both increase security and safety for their employees and implement ways to better safeguard their merchandise,” Padilla said.

The arrests at Safeway included:

• A 58-year-old Kent man for reportedly shoving expensive packs of meat in his pants and leaving the store without paying for the items, according to police. He also had a second-degree robbery warrant out of Seattle. Officers booked him into the King County jail.

• A couple, ages 35 and 32, of Tacoma, who reportedly attempted to steal a cart load of items by paying for one item in self-checkout and then exiting the store without paying for the rest, according to police. The man had misdemeanor warrants for disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance. Officers booked the couple into the city jail.

• A 22-year-old Milton man who did a trial run in the store and made a small purchase while looking around for security. He left and then returned to the store and picked up numerous items. He allegedly went to buy lottery tickets and then exited the store without paying for the items, according to police. He had a Kent warrant for tampering with property of another and three misdemeanor warrants out of Burien, including one for DUI.

• A 33-year-old woman allegedly attempted to pay for a few items in self-checkout in her cart but didn’t pay for the rest and exited the store, according to police. She had a Kent warrant for vehicle trespass and reportedly had fentanyl in her purse. Officers booked her into the city jail.

Padilla said Kent Police also are part of the state’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force formed in 2022 by then Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is now governor.

“Realizing that retail theft was an epidemic across the state, the task force came together to better coordinate the efforts of retailers, private security, and law enforcement agencies across the region,” Padilla said.

Despite such efforts, Kroger announced earlier this year the closure of several Fred Meyer stores in Western Washington, including the East Hill Fred Meyer (to close Oct. 17) in Kent, and partially blamed the closures on retail theft. Fred Meyer still has a store in Kent on the West Hill on Pacific Highway South.

According to Seattle-based United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 3000, which represents store employees, other reasons for the closures are part of a company “plan to shutter stores in low-sales areas and open stores in potentially high-sales areas.”

Padilla said the shoplifting stings will continue.

“Yes, as our staffing allows us to, we will do more of these in the future,” he said.