SCU ARRESTS DEAL FOR FELONY THEFT

                      FEBRUARY 20, 2020.

PRESS RELEASE

SCU Commander Makes Arrest While Shopping

Parker County Sheriff’s Special Crimes Unit Commander James Peel arrested a man in connection with a theft at a local retail store.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said the theft occurred Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, around 5 p.m.

Commander Peel was shopping when the store’s asset protection manager recognized him and approached him regarding a suspect who was attempting to steal clothing from the store.

The asset protection manager reported observing a male suspect conceal three pairs of jeans on his person before he entered the electronics department, shopping for electronic items.

The suspect then entered a checkout lane and purchased the electronic merchandise further taking the concealed jeans past all points of sale without paying for them, and left the store.

The suspect was further observed entering his vehicle in an attempt to flee the scene.

SCU Commander Peel contacted sheriff’s deputies in the area to conduct a stop on the suspect, intercepting him from leaving the scene with the stolen merchandise.

SCU Commander Peel and sheriff’s deputies observed the stolen jeans in plain view through the window of the suspect’s vehicle, noting the store price tags and reported they were not inside a shopping bag. The suspect, identified as Jonathan Dean Deal, 39, of Decatur, did not have proof-of-purchase for the jeans.  

Store employees also identified the jeans as the ones they observed Deal concealing without purchasing.

A check of Deal showed he had been previously arrested for theft on other occasions.   

Deal was booked into the Parker County Jail on a state jail felony theft of property charge with two or more previous arrests for the same charge.

As of Friday morning, Deal remained incarcerated. His bond has not been set.