Stafford police arrested a Pleasantville man Sunday and charged him with shoplifting items from the K-Mart store on Route 72.

Loss prevention officers from the store called police at 4:16 p.m. after they witnessed three people placing items into a shopping cart, then leaving the store without paying, police said in a news release Monday. When they were approached by the loss prevention officers, the group quickly left the scene on foot, leaving the stolen merchandise behind in the parking lot.

A canvas of the area was performed and one of the suspects, later identified as Harding M. Rice, 23, of Pleasantville, was located inside the nearby McDonalds restaurant, police said. Through witness descriptions and security video footage, officers developed probable cause to believe he was involved in the K-Mart incident and placed him under arrest for shoplifting.

He was processed at police headquarters without incident. Police also determined Rice was wanted by the Buena, Atlantic County, municipal court on an outstanding traffic warrant. Buena Municipal Court eventually released Rice on his own recognizance for the warrant with a new court date scheduled for later this month.

Police said the investigation into the K-Mart incident is ongoing to determine the other two suspects involved.