Shoplifter Apprehended After Assaulting Staff During Getaway

Sonora, CA– — A shoplifting incident escalated into an assault when 26-year-old Robert Baldwin fled Tractor Supply in Sonora on Thursday, January 4th, around 2:30 PM. Deputies responded to the scene after receiving a report of Baldwin taking multiple items and leaving in a vehicle. The reporting party provided Baldwin’s license plate number and vehicle description to dispatch.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies spoke to store staff who recounted Baldwin’s entry into the store and theft of various welding items. As Baldwin exited, staff pursued him, requesting the stolen items. In response, Baldwin threw a metal bottle of oxygen at a staff member before escaping in his vehicle. The staff member caught the thrown bottle and remained unharmed.

Deputies later located Baldwin on Robin Hood Drive, apprehending him inside his vehicle. A vehicle search revealed the stolen welding items, which were subsequently returned to Tractor Supply after confirmation. Baldwin was arrested and transported to the Dambacher Detention Center, facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor shoplifting.