Man with 'plenty of money' stole a pound of sliced ham, police say

A Whittier man was arrested this week after stealing a pound of sliced ham from Vallarta Supermarket in Burbank, police said, despite having “plenty of money” in his wallet to pay for the item.

At 1:45 p.m. on Monday, Ruben Velasco, 46, hid the package of ham under his shirt and walked out of the market — located at 10950 Sherman Way — without paying for it, Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said.

Velasco was confronted by the market’s loss prevention officers, who detained him until police arrived, the Burbank Leader reported.

Officers discovered a “sufficient amount” of cash in Velasco’s pocket that could have been used to pay for the ham, police said.

Velasco was arrested on suspicion of petty theft and was released pending a court date after posting $1,000 bail, Ryburn said.

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-- Alene Tchekmedyian, Times Community News