A man stole $4K in tools from a Bluffton store, police say. He made more than one trip

A man used an interesting tactic to steal thousands of dollars worth of power tools from a Bluffton store over a two-week period, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

The incidents occurred between Sept. 12 and Sept. 25 at the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on Malphrus Road, the report said.

The suspect — described as a white man in his 40s — put the items in a shopping cart, went to the garden center area of the store, hurled the merchandise over the fence and walked back through the store to leave and recover the items, the report said.

He successfully shoplifted items this way without being caught at least four times, the report said. Those items included seven Hitachi nail guns and two Dewalt tools, the report said.

The estimated cost was $4,523, the reports said.

During the suspect’s fifth trip to the store, he was stopped by management as he was heading to grab the tools he’d thrown over the fence and told to leave, the report said. He did after attempting to steal two Dewalt drill kits and a Craftsmen drill kit, the report said.

The store plans to file charges if the man is identified, the report said.