By Matt Hutson
Tulsa police responded to a shoplifting incident that escalated into a robbery after a suspect allegedly threatened a store clerk.
Police were called to the a Dollar Tree near 3rd and Lewis shortly before 10 p.m. last Friday, after a store clerk said he saw a woman take two boxes of candy worth $30 each from the store.
Officers say the suspect, identified as 60-year-old Venus Brown, claimed to have a gun before fleeing the scene in a grey Chrysler minivan. Police located the vehicle and arrested Brown and the driver, 59-year-old Valton Horton.
The pair admitted to planning to steal candy for resale, and both were booked into the Tulsa County Jail on charges of organized retail crime and conjoint robbery. No firearm was found, but police say the case was initially a theft before being elevated to a robbery due to the alleged threat with a weapon.
