Man allegedly tries to steal 1-pound of sliced ham from Burbank store

A 46-year-old Whittier man was arrested Monday after allegedly stealing a pound of sliced ham from Vallarta Supermarket in Burbank, despite having “plenty of money” in his wallet to pay for the item, police said.

At 1:45 p.m., Ruben Velasco allegedly hid the package of ham under his shirt and walked out of the market — located at 10950 Sherman Way — without paying for it, said Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.

Velasco was confronted by the market’s loss prevention officers, who detained him until police arrived.

Officers discovered a “sufficient amount” of cash in Velasco’s pocket that could’ve been used to pay for the ham.

Velasco was arrested on suspicion of petty theft and was released pending a court date after posting $1,000 bail, Ryburn said.

-- Alene Tchekmedyian, Times Community News

Follow Alene Tchekmedyian on Google+ and on Twitter: @atchek.