Doral, FL – A suspected shoplifter was caught in a restroom stall at a nearby Sam’s Club after an incident at a South Florida Walmart on Tuesday.
Law enforcement officials arrested the suspect, who has been identified as Melvin Cochran, following an occurrence at a retail complex in Doral.
Cochran, a 43-year-old individual from Miami, was apprehended in a restroom stall at Sam’s Club by the Doral police.
According to the police, an officer called for assistance upon witnessing Cochran participating in shoplifting involving valuable items at the Walmart on Northwest 13th Terrace.
Cochran then fled across the Walmart parking lot towards Sam’s Club.
The officer attempted to halt Cochran in the parking lot. However, Cochran repeatedly asserted a lack of awareness about the situation. He abandoned his shopping cart, which contained the stolen items while trying to escape.
Eyewitnesses informed the responding officers that Cochran had run into the Sam’s Club restroom.
Upon entering the restroom, law enforcement personnel verbally commanded Cochran to leave the restroom stall. However, Cochran refused to comply. This led to an officer forcefully opening the stall door.
Inside the stall, Cochran was found standing on top of a toilet.
Authorities directed him to assume a prone position on the floor. Nevertheless, Cochran declined to do so. As a result, officers physically restrained Cochran, placed him in handcuffs, and arrested him.
Cochran was taken to the Doral police station for processing before being transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
He is currently facing charges of grand theft and resisting an officer without resorting to violence.
