Police arrest five suspected of shoplifting spree at South Texas dollar stores

LA JOYA — Five individuals were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of going on a shoplifting spree, police said. The group hit three dollar stores from Laredo to La Joya and stole a variety of personal hygiene items.

The items taken just from the La Joya store totaled about $675, said Jose Del Angel, the city’s police chief.

“Their destination was Port Isabel,” he said. “They were going to visit a friend there, and I guess they were just going to stop at all the Dollar Generals on the way.”

“They were not rookies,” the chief said. “They were career criminals for shoplifting. Four of them had records for organized crime.”