Thief who threatened guard at Fresno Target store sought by police

Fresno police are asking for the public's help to find a thief who stole headphones from a Shaw Avenue Target store, then threatened to shoot a security guard who confronted him.

The man entered the Target at 3150 W. Shaw Ave. around 6 p.m. Monday, walked to the electronic accessories aisle and began placing headphones into a Verizon bag, police Lt. Joe Gomez said. A loss prevention officer spotted the man on surveillance video and recognized him as a thief who had already hit the store several times.

When the thief walked out of the store without paying, a guard confronted the man to retrieve the merchandise. That's when the thief lifted his shirt, displayed a handgun tucked in his waistband and threatened to shoot the guard before walking away toward Shaw Avenue, Gomez said.

The thief is described as a Hispanic man between 18 and 24 years old, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and khaki pants. He stands 5-feet-9 to 5-feet-10 in height and weighs about 180 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Pat Mares at 559-621-2080, or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP.

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Thief who threatened guard at Fresno Target store sought by police."