Man wanted in Texas gets jailed here for shoplifting

A man wanted in Texas on felony charges was busted here Tuesday after he fled the scene of a shoplifting incident leaving his girlfriend behind to take the heat.

The suspect, Travis Lee Hawley, 26, is charged with shoplifting and criminal impersonation. He will face those charges here before being extradited to Texas where he is wanted on felony burglary charges.

Hawley was found hiding under a bed when police came to arrest him and his girlfriend, Brenda Pluig, Tuesday for their day of alleged shoplifting at Three Star Mall Monday.

According to McMinnville Patrolman Bo Hutchins, Hawley fled U.S. Factory Outlet Store when he was confronted about stealing a watch set from there. While gone when police arrived, they discovered he had arrived with Pluig who was found still in the mall. A subsequent search of her car netted a cache of stolen items which police believe the couple had stashed there.

While facing the local charges, Hutchins said Hawley did not want to reveal his true identity when first questioned during booking as he gave a fake name and claimed he didn’t remember his Social Security number.

“A man who is 25 and doesn’t know his social? I wasn’t born yesterday,” Hutchins said. “I knew something wasn’t right about this cat, especially when he changed his story and gave me a date of birth making him just 18.”

Hutchins said he eventually determined the man’s real name and a search of the national crime computer revealed his wanted status. The state of Texas has revealed it wants him back for trial on the burglary charge.