Santino Burrola, the King Soopers employee, was alerted to a theft in progress at the store and the first thing he thought to do was pull out his phone and record it.
“When I looked there was already a guy halfway headed out with a food cart full of laundry detergents and scent boosters and what have you,” Burrola told CBS Colorado. “My first instinct, record.”
As Burrola, a former military police officer, walked out of the store, the three thieves hurry to load up a black Chevy Trax, one opening the doors, another throwing a basket full of items into the back seat, and another struggling to unload the full shopping cart.
“Really bro you got to resort to this? The economy isn’t that bad,” Burrola could be heard in the now-viral video shared by the Arapahoe Sheriff’s Office.
“Better gettin while the gettin’s good,” Burrola jokes at the men.
As the three stooges attempted to flee from the parking lot, the getaway driver was a little faster than the two still outside the car, who had trouble getting into the vehicle.
That allowed Burrola to yank a sheet of tin foil covering the license plate.
@thagodfather01
After the men got into the car and left the area Burrola called the police, later sharing the video to social media which helped out the investigators.
“So I posted it on TikTok hoping that somebody would recognize them,” said Burrola about the video that was seen 1.5 million times, including by rapper Snoop Dogg.
“Investigators have already identified and arrested the driver, Jorge Pantoja, 32, the man in the green shirt,” the Arrapahoe Sherriff’s Office said in a statement. “Pantoja is currently in custody at the Adams County Detention Facility on unrelated felony charges. He has also been charged with Theft/Shoplifting, a Class 2 Misdemeanor.”
Santino Burrola was alerted to a theft in progress at the store and the first thing he thought to do was pull out his phone and record it.
Police are still searching for the two passengers after the driver was arrested on an unrelated felony and also was charged with a misdemeanor in the theft.
During their investigation, police contacted the registered owner of the vehicle who loaned the car to a friend and the driver was later found.
“The driver was then contacted, arrested, and stated he picked up two other males at the Light Rail station at I-25 and Belleview and offered them an opportunity to make some money. The men told the driver their names were Robert and Bugsy,”
The other two theives are still on the loose, but investigators are aware of their first names as Robert and Bugsy.
Burrola followed the three men from the store out to the parking lot, recording them the whole time.
The other two theives are still on the loose, but investigators are aware of their first names as Robert and Bugsy.
When Burrola returned to the store for his next shift he learned he had been suspended and a week later was fired.
“Me and the union rep sat down with them and they recommended termination,” Burrola said. “I would never let any criminal conduct slide especially when it’s happening right in front of me.”
Burrola says he didn’t break any rules nor touch the theives, all he was doing was trying to help the community.
“Did I feel that I overstepped boundaries? Not really because I didn’t physically touch them or alter their shoplifting in any way, I just revealed the license plate to help the community to be aware, the police be aware and to help better catch them,” Burrola told 9News.
The driver was identified Jorge Pantoja who was arrested on an unrelated felony.
The three men stole approximately $500 worth of laundry detergent during the Father’s day theft.
The supermarket chain found around the Rocky Mountains is a subsidy of The Kroger Company, which Burrola says has a policy against employees chasing or intervening in a theft.
“We are disappointed by the increased level of crime across retail establishments and the impact these incidents have on our associates and customers. We remain committed to working in partnership with local law enforcement to address this issue, as safety remains a top priority,” King Soopers said in a statement to CBS Colorado.
“We have security measures in place to help prevent crime and de-escalate such confrontations to minimize the risk to our associates. While we are unable to comment on personnel matters, we value our hardworking associates and their safe return home,” the statement concluded.
Following his termination from the store, Burrola posted a follow-up video to TikTok where he held an impromptu press conference to ask and answer his own questions.
Burrola was able to pull off a sheet of tin foil that was covering the getaway car, that assisted police in the investigation.
Two of the three stooges had trouble getting into the car as the driver fled the scene.
“I was limited to my abilities due to the fact that I was employed there,” Burrola answered on why he didn’t “deck” the thieves.
Burrola said he received “racists comments” on the video but said “I didn’t see color when I confronted them, I’ve seen criminals, white, black, brown, purple it didn’t matter a crime was being committed and wrong is wrong and a crime is a crime.”
“Let me tell you something, if something is happening right in front of me, I’m gonna make it my business,” Burrola concluded.
A GoFundMe was set up for Burrola by a cousin looking to recover lost wages for the King Soopers employee.
“He was not given severance pay and was planning to move to Florida to be closer to family. This loss of position has put a hold on plans and has made him fall behind in a couple bills,” the GoFundMe states.
King Soopers said the store is disappointed in the rise in crime, we value our hardworking associates and their safe return home,” following Burrola’s termination.
In May, two Georgia Lululemon employees were fired from their positions after they called the police on three masked men who returned to the Atlanta store after already stealing from the location several times before.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy that we train our educators on around engaging during a theft,” Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said after the two employees were fired.
The post Supermarket employee fired for recording 3 men stealing $500 in laundry detergent appeared first on lawyer.bet.
