All it takes is a little help from the community when trying to solve a theft case, and that is exactly what happened in Nebraska after the Lincoln Crime Stoppers shared photos of an alleged lottery thief suspect.
What happened in Lincoln, Nebraska?
The Lincoln Crime Stoppers recently reached out to the public looking for their help in identifying a man who took an entire roll of lottery tickets from a gas station in Lincoln.
According to officials, the incident took place around 2:00 p.m. CT on September 24, 2024, at a Kwik Shop gas station located on 44th and Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln.
Police said the cashier stepped outside of the store for a smoke break. While the cashier was outside, a man who had been sitting at the game machines in the back of the store snuck behind the counter and took a roll of lottery tickets.
However, surveillance cameras in the store caught the man going back to the game machines and stuffing the lottery tickets into his backpack.
Photos and tipsters to the rescue
After the incident took place, Lincoln Crime Stoppers released images from the surveillance footage. The suspect appeared to have a tattoo on his left forearm, and the hair on the back of his head near his neck was buzzed off.
Community members in Lincoln saw the photos and submitted tips to the tip line. Thanks to their help, the suspect was identified, and police are searching for him to arrest him for allegedly stealing the lottery tickets.
New York man arrested for lottery theft
A man in New York City also tried his luck at attempting to steal some lottery tickets, but he was caught in the act, according to the Yorktown Police Department.
This incident took place around 3:00 a.m. ET on February 13, 2024, at the Quick Stop Gulf, located on Crompond Rd. in Yorktown.
The commercial alarm had gone off at the store, and officers responded to the scene shortly afterward.
At the scene, police officers determined that a robbery had taken place at the business, and lottery tickets were stolen by several suspects.
Detectives investigated the incident and came up with a list of some of the potential suspects. Those suspects were identified and arrest warrants were obtained, officials said.
One of those suspects was 28-year-old Christopher Almanzar of the Bronx. The Yorktown Police Department contacted Almanzar about the arrest warrant and told him to surrender to police.
Around 3:15 p.m. on October 15, Almanzar arrived at police headquarters and was arrested, authorities said.
He was charged with felony third-degree burglary, felony third-degree criminal mischief, and felony third-degree grand larceny.
Almanzar was arraigned and released on his own recognizance, officials said. He is scheduled to return to court on November 12.
Police haven't mentioned if any of the other list of suspects have been arrested in connection with this incident.
Enjoy playing the Nebraska Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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