A man is seriously hurt after he was suspected of shoplifting at the Pentagon City mall on Monday, ran to a parking garage and fell as he tried to jump over a railing, officials in Arlington, Virginia, say.
The man, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, the fire department said.
The fire department was dispatched to the 800 block of Army Navy Drive — the block dominated by the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City — at 3:35 p.m. They found the man seriously hurt after what was reported as a fall.
County police officers began to investigate and determined that the man went into a store, hid merchandise under his coat and left without paying, police said in a brief statement. An employee approached him and “offered assistance,” police said.
A security guard began to follow the man. That's when he ran to a parking garage and “attempted to jump over a railing before falling to the ground,” police said.
The suspect will be charged with petit larceny, police said. That means the items he’s accused of stealing were valued at less than $500.
Information was not released on the store related to the case, the height from which the man fell or the nature of his injuries.