Crooks steal $12,000 worth of merchandise...from Kroger

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Atlanta Police are searching for a trio of crooks who got away with thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise, but not from a jewelry store or high-end boutique. They snagged the goods from two Kroger grocery stores.

"It's mind-boggling!" said James Kulstad, who frequently shops at Kroger.

Shoppers were shocked to learn of the brazen crime at such busy Kroger locations off of Caroline Street and Glenwood Avenue.

"How can you get $7,000 worth of merchandise out of the store without someone noticing it?" asked Mamie Walker. "And then what are you getting, and what are you going to do with it?"

The crooks hit the stores within 48 hours of each other, targeting both later in the day around 11 p.m.

Soap, deodorant, meat, beer, household items: The suspects stuffed their rolling and motorized carts with about $5,000 in items at one location and $7,000 at another, escaping through a back exit door and leaving in a black dodge charger.

Officer Jarius Daugherty, with the Atlanta Police Department, said investigators believe the same group of suspects hit both Kroger stores.

"They have shown a propensity to do this multiple times in the past, so we have no reason to believe that they would quit now," Daugherty told Fox 5. "We are hoping to get them stopped and get them captured before they strike again."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS.