Thieves Attack Rochester Hills Meijer Employee with Pepper Spray, Police Say

Two men walked out of a Rochester Hills Meijer store without paying for $1,200 in merchandise — and then attacked a store employee with pepper spray after being confronted about the theft, police say.

The incident happened at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Rochester Road Meijer store.

According to a report from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the men, both in their 30s, were stopped by a store loss prevention officer after exiting the store with the items. They agreed to re-enter Meijer with the agent, and in the entryway one man sprayed the agent in the face with pepper spray, the report stated. The two men fled the store and got into a car driven by another man, the report stated.

Meijer staff gave the license plate number and vehicle description to sheriff's deputies, who found that the vehicle was registered to an address in Madison Heights; the information was given to the Madison Heights police.