TANNERSVILLE, PA — Police arrested a man on retail theft and related charges after he allegedly fled into nearby woods following a theft at Pocono Premium Outlets on March 28.
Officers with the Pocono Township Police Department were dispatched to the outlet mall for a report of a retail theft.
Police were informed that a male suspect had fled from the store and was last seen running into nearby woods.
Officers canvassing the area located the suspect, later identified as Diego Daniel Zarate Castaneda, 31, running along an embankment through the woods.
Officers gave Zarate Castaneda several commands to stop running, but he refused and continued to flee through the woods, police said.
After a brief foot pursuit, officers apprehended Zarate Castaneda without further issue.
With the help of witnesses at the scene, officers recovered and returned the stolen merchandise, which totaled over $400.
Zarate Castaneda was also found to be in possession of a “booster bag,” a common tool used to interfere with store security tags and systems, according to police.
Zarate Castaneda was charged with retail theft, possessing instruments of a crime, evading detention or arrest on foot, and criminal trespass.
