Purple sock helped police track down suspected tequila thief

Police in Everett, Washington state say a shoplifting suspect wearing one purple sock was identified by a store worker who recognized him from a high school yearbook. A man who reportedly ran out of an Everett grocery store with $61 worth of tequila on Tuesday night was arrested just hours later thanks to a little police work.

The man, 23, and a woman allegedly took off with the liquor from a Safeway store just after 10:30pm. A store employee tried to stop the pair, and a struggle broke out. The man used his 367-pound frame to slam his shoulder into the employee and get away. The suspect was described as shoeless, but wearing mismatched socks, including a purple sock.



Police were reviewing the surveillance video at the store when they got another clue. Another employee said he recognized the shoplifter as a former classmate from Everett High School. The employee couldn't remember the suspect's name. Officers asked the employee to go home and get his yearbooks, and the employee found the man's name and photo inside of one.

By 1am, officers caught up with the man at his Everett home. "One of the telling factors was the purple sock in this case," Everett police spokesman Aaron Snell said. "He changed everything but his socks." The man declined to speak with officers and was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of second-degree robbery. Police still are seeking the woman believed to be involved. The man's socks were impounded as evidence.