Theft suspect caught

A man was arrested Monday after trying to return merchandise he never paid for and police discovered the man had done the same thing several times recently.

The suspect allegedly collected items worth $260 at the Spokane Valley Home Depot and then took them to the refund counter without paying for them, said police spokesman Dave Reagan.

The suspect received an in-store refund card, then allegedly tried to leave the store with more than $200 worth of circuit breakers he hadn’t paid for, Reagan said. When police asked the store to research its records, they found that the same man had gotten eight in-store refunds in the last two weeks.

Thomas L. Tyger, 38, of 1709 E. Pacific Ave., was arrested for second-degree theft.