California Home Depot Employee Shot Dead by Shoplifter

A California Home Depot employee died after he was shot while trying to stop a theft on Tuesday, according to authorities.

In a press release, the Pleasanton Police Department said that officers responded to reports of a man bleeding inside the store of Johnson Drive at around 2:15 p.m., Fox News reported.

The victim was treated by responding cops before he was rushed to a local hospital, the police said. The victim tried to stop a theft that was already happening, and witnesses said he was shot during a struggle.

After the shooting, the suspects drove away from the scene. The Alameda County Coroner told KTVU that the California Home Depot employee died from injuries but withheld the victim's age and name.

In a separate statement, Home Depot confirmed to the outlet that the man, who was shot dead, was an employee.

"We're heartbroken over this senseless tragedy," the store said. "Blake was our associate and friend, and our hearts go out to his family and everyone who knew and loved him."

California Home Depot Employee and Shoplifter Identified

The man who died after being shot by the suspected Home Depot shoplifter was identified by Pleasanton police on Wednesday as Blake Mohs, a 26-year-old resident of Tri-Valley, CBS News reported.

On the other hand, police said the alleged shoplifter was a woman named Benicia Knapps.

Authorities noted that Mohs, a security guard, confronted the 32-year-old shoplifter who tried to steal an electric tool or charger and leave through the loading dock of the store.

When Mohs approached her, police said she fought back and shot the security guard. Knapps then ran to a getaway car driven by 31-year-old man David Guillory, who also had the alleged shoplifter's two-year-old child inside.

Alameda County sheriff's deputies eventually found Knapps and Guillory in a residential area of Oakland 15 minutes later and arrested them. The child was turned over to relatives.

Lt. Erik Silacci of the Pleasanton Police Department told reporters on Wednesday that Guillory had been booked into Santa Rita Prison while Knapps was receiving medical treatment in Alameda County and would be placed into Santa Rita Jail once she was discharged.

Police previously revealed that Knapps had harmed herself by choking herself with the seatbelt until she passed out in the back of the Alameda Sheriff's Department patrol car.

She is still being held for mental health evaluation and treatment. Several charges, including murder, robbery, endangering a child, and conspiracy, have been filed against Guillory and Knapps. Additional charges are also expected.

Silacci noted that they often worked with Mohs regularly, and local police had a lot of respect for him.

Shoplifters Widely Target Home Depot

According to the East Bay Times, thieves have long targeted Home Depot for its expensive tools and materials. It has been reported that in 2019, the retailer started paying police overtime rates, estimated to be at least $2.1 million by 2021.

Last month, a Hayward, California store employee was arrested for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items.

Blake Mohs was said to be planning a wedding for the summer, authorities said. He was well-known in the area and often helped with youth initiatives.

The Home Depot store in Pleasanton was full of customers on Wednesday, the day after the shooting. No memorials or other signs of the shooting were visible inside and outside the store.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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