A 63-year-old man was taken into custody after using a scam to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of items from a grocery store, according to police. “It’s such a quick technique that they use, and they become extremely proficient,” said Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez. The technique, kn own as ticket switching, involves passing multiple items through at a self-checkout register. In one hand, the individual would hold an item or barcode for something that costs less than $1, while the other hand has an item that’s much more expensive. After passing both items over the scanner simultaneously, only the cheaper item will be scanned. “Common technique where these thieves start scanning items on these new cash registers that don’t have an attendant,” said Lopez. “Eventually, your luck’s gonna run out.” Authorities say Luis Felipe Lezcano, 63, utilized this technique several times at stores, scamming his way out of paying for thousands of dollars’ worth of groceries. “According to store management, this individual did this over 35 times and, luckily, we were able to bring him to justice,” said Lopez. In one of those instances, Lezcano is allegedly seen passing one item in his right hand across the scanner while holding another above it in his left hand, then placing both into a bag. “It’s very difficult to detect, but luckily, through the leveraging technology, it’s very clear on camera,” said Lopez. Authorities caught up to Lezcano walking out of the Walmart along the 8000 block of Northwest 13th Terrace, Jan 14. According to the arrest report, he had just finished pulling the same technique inside, walking out with multiple items he didn’t pay for. Officials said they hope this arrest serves as a deterrent to others who attempt to use technology to avoid paying for goods. “The more we use technology, the more the community has to understand that you have a higher likelihood of being caught,” said Lopez. “If you’re coming to Doral to commit a crime, we’re going to identify you, and we’re going to take you to jail.” Lezcano was charged with one count of petit theft, but Lopez said further charges will be added after reviewing footage of previous incidents. ...read more read less