A late-night shoplifting call at Kroger on Gay Street sent Portsmouth police looking for a suspect vehicle — and what officers found at the registered owner’s home only added another twist.
Kroger reported that a man had taken off with a bag full of groceries just after 11 p.m. Monday. Loss prevention provided officers with a license plate number, and police headed to a 23rd Street address connected to the vehicle.
There, officers found the suspected vehicle parked outside.
According to the police log, a jacket had been placed over the trunk, covering the rear license plate.
No one answered the door.
Police then noticed another problem: the vehicle was parked about seven feet from a fire hydrant. Officers measured the distance and had the vehicle towed for the parking violation.
The registered owner was notified — and police noted she was very unhappy.
She told officers the vehicle had been parked in front of her house all night and had never been at Kroger.
Police, however, said they compared the vehicle to a photograph taken by Kroger loss prevention and verified the registration.
Kroger ultimately declined to prosecute the theft, but asked police to bar the man from the store if he was located.
The vehicle owner was told how to retrieve the car from the tow lot. According to the log, she declined to provide officers with a key to the vehicle.
No theft charge was filed at that time.