State v. Garcia

¶1 Store personnel may detain a suspected shoplifter if they have reasonable grounds to believe the person is committing or attempting to commit theft or shoplifting. State v. Miller, 103 Wn.2d 792, 795, 698 P.2d *825554 (1985); State v. Johnston, 85 Wn. App. 549, 554, 933 P.2d 448 (1997). And a private citizen may detain a person for a misdemeanor if it (1) constitutes a breach of the peace and (2) is committed in the citizen’s presence. State v. Gonzales, 24 Wn. App. 437, 439, 604 P.2d 168 (1979). Here, Ranch and Home’s owner and employees suspected Gonzalo Garcia Jr. of shoplifting from…