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Five arrested in Covington shoplifting sting

Five people were arrested and thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise was confiscated during a shoplifting sting in Covington last week.

King County sheriff’s deputies, who have a contract with the city, partnered with a Fred Meyer store for the Nov. 15 sting.

At the end of the night, five people had been arrested. Deputies said more people came close to being arrested, but they left merchandise behind before they left the store. Police said the would-be thieves likely realized they were being watched.

The merchandise recovered by Fred Meyer during the operation was worth $5,787.22.

Of the 17 documented incidents that day, in addition to the five shoplifting arrests, two people got away with merchandise, one person was trespassed from the store and nine people left merchandise behind before leaving the store.