Thief stuffs $500 worth of frozen shrimp down his pants, police say

Authorities are searching for a man suspected of stealing more than $500 worth of frozen shrimp — concealing the loot by shoving the bags of icy crustaceans down his pants — from a Riverside grocery store this month.

The shoplifter entered the Vons grocery store at 3520 Riverside Plaza Drive around noon Dec. 4, going back three times in about 15 minutes. Each time, he walked to the frozen food section, grabbed several bags of frozen shrimp and hid them in his jeans before walking out of the store, Riverside police said Tuesday.

The man managed to abscond with 30 bags of shrimp with a retail value of more than $500, police said. Surveillance video from the grocery store shows the man, wearing a navy blue sweater and a tan jacket, appearing to talk on his cellphone as he exits the store.

Authorities described the gray-haired man as between 50 and 60 years old, about 5 feet 10, and 150 to 180 pounds. Anyone with information can call Det. Jeff Putnam at (951) 826-2054. Anonymous tips can be sent to rpdtips@riversideca.gov.