Marlboro thief steals 140 cartons from Vons

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- For the past year, a man identifying himself as a Philip

Morris employee has been conning local Vons supermarkets out of hundreds

of cigarette cartons, police said Monday.

The Vons store at 185 E. 17th St. became the latest victim April 25,

police reported. On Thursday, store representatives reported the store

was burglarized of 140 Marlboro cartons, valued at about $3,900.

The incident happened between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. April 25, when a

well-dressed man approached store manager Michael Crain and told him he

was a supervisor from Philip Morris who was there to inspect the

cigarette cartons and offer the store promotional deals, according to a

police report.

Crain left the man alone near the cases, but when he returned about 20

minutes later, Crain found a large shopping cart half full of cigarette

cartons, the report showed. Crain was puzzled because he had not seen the

man leave the store. He wheeled the half-full cart to the candy room for

safekeeping, police said.

The next morning, Crain noticed the store’s cigarette shelf was empty

and that the shopping cart in the candy room was still half full with

cigarettes, according to the report. Crain took an inventory that

revealed the loss of 140 cartons, police said.

Another Vons on Harbor Boulevard and one in Newport Beach also said

they had experienced the same type of crime a year ago, officials said.

Police said no one saw the vehicle the man used to drive away.

According to witnesses, the man is about 5-foot-8 and in his 30s, weighs

about 150 pounds and has light blond hair.