Crime & Safety

Man Caught Stealing Whiskey is Recovering from Chest Pains — in Jail

A Lake Orion man has been charged with stealing liquor in Rochester Hills, and police say he may be responsible for multiple, similar thefts in area.

A man who police say may be responsible for stealing at least $700 in liquor from area stores was arrested at a Rochester Hills Meijer this week and sent to the Oakland County Jail.

In between the time David Frank Hall was caught in the Meijer parking lot and taken to jail, he complained of chest pains and was transported to the hospital, police say.

He was treated and released, and as of Thursday morning remained in jail on charges of retail fraud in the first degree. 

Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hall, 49, of Lake Orion, was caught while attempting to take a "large quantity of liquor" from the Adams Road just after 8 p.m. Monday night, according to a news release from the .

According to Lt. Steve Jacobs, Hall and another suspect, who has not been charged, have been stealing from area Meijer and Wal-Mart stores over the past few weeks. "We're talking probably at least $700 in liquor" that they know of in at least two incidents, and the office is looking into whether he was responsible for seven to 10 total in the area, Jacobs said.

Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We are still working on charging him in more thefts," Jacobs said Thursday morning.

Hall was concealing the whiskey and other liquor items inside his clothing, Jacobs said.

While being questioned at the Rochester Hills substation on Monday night, Hall told deputies he was having chest pains; he was taken to in Rochester Hills for evaluation and released the next morning.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Rochester-Rochester Hills