A man’s dramatic attempt to flip the script at a downtown Walgreens fell apart spectacularly on Tuesday after he was caught stuffing merchandise into his jacket — then immediately tried to convince employees he was the one being wronged.
According to staff, 28-year-old Trevor Haines had been wandering the aisles for nearly half an hour, repeatedly glancing up at ceiling cameras and pretending to browse. Security footage later showed he slipped razors, protein bars, batteries, and even a small Bluetooth speaker into his coat.
When a manager approached and asked him to put the items back, Trevor allegedly threw his arms up and yelled:
“Stop harassing me! I’m a paying customer!”
This would’ve been more convincing had he not been standing next to an empty shopping basket.
Trevor then dramatically claimed he was being “targeted,” insisting he was “just trying to live his life” while the obviously bulging jacket pockets betrayed him. Witnesses say he even pointed at a random shopper and said, “Why aren’t you frisking him?”
The manager calmly told Trevor the police had already been called.
That’s when the performance peaked.
Trevor reportedly sat on the floor, clutching his chest, and shouted, “I’m the victim here! I need a lawyer AND a doctor!”
Officers arrived moments later and asked him to stand up. Trevor allegedly tried to limp — despite having shown no signs of injury earlier — and began shouting that the employees were “lying to set him up.”
The officers simply asked him to empty his pockets.
One by one, the stolen items hit the counter.
Trevor paused, sighed, and reportedly said:
“…Okay, but in my defense, everything is too expensive.”
He was arrested for misdemeanor shoplifting and disorderly conduct. A Walgreens spokesperson said the incident was “more dramatic than necessary for a $42 theft.”
One customer summed it up perfectly:
“He tried every excuse except telling the truth.”
