A 36-year-old Dunmore man faces charges after stealing lottery tickets, vapes, candy, sports cards and sunglasses — valued around $850 — from a Turkey Hill store in Scranton early Saturday morning, police said.
Officers responded to the Turkey Hill at 300 Meridian Ave. around 4:37 a.m. for the report of a male stealing lottery tickets, according to a criminal complaint.
An officer stopped a male matching the description of the suspect — who was later identified as Anthony Librizzi — walking on the 300 block of Fifth Avenue and took him into custody, police said.
He admitted stealing lottery tickets from the Turkey Hill, officers said.
A Turkey Hill employee told police that Librizzi stole items from the store as he was waiting for a ride and noted he dropped a packet of them on the ground when she caught him attempting to steal more lottery tickets, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers found more lottery tickets and other stolen items in a backpack Librizzi discarded before being apprehended, police said.
In total, Librizzi stole $640 in lottery tickets, five packs of football/baseball cards, four pairs of sunglasses, three vapes and one pack of candy, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers also discovered Librizzi was in possession of a small baggie containing marijuana, a bottle containing 55 gabapentin and 19 buprenorphine hydrochloride pills, another bottle containing 42 gabapentin pills and a bottle of 30 clonidine HCL pills — both prescribed to someone else — and a bottle containing two unidentified yellow pills and one unidentified white pill, police said.
Police charged Librizzi, 603 S. Blakely St., Apt. 2, with retail theft, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
As of Monday, Librizzi remained in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 9 a.m.