UPDATE: Have You Seen This North Bay Shoplifter?

UPDATE: 10:10 am 12/29/16

NORTH BAY, CA -- The suspect who allegedly stole a BB gun from Big 5 on Dec. 27 has been arrested after a tip from an alert citizen.

Jesse Pruett, 27, was positively identified in a photographic line up as the suspect from the theft of a BB gun from Big 5 during the previous day.

Petaluma PD has said it is familiar with Pruett from prior contacts. Pruett was arrested in May 2016 for displaying a firearm to prevent an officer from performing their official duties. An officer recognized him as a warrant subject as he walked on Hopper Road. The officer went to detain Pruett for the warrants when Pruett drew a replica firearm from his waistband and held it at his side. The officer called for additional resources as Pruett fled on foot and scaled a fence into a construction zone. Additional officers arrived on scene and after a period of negotiations, Pruett was arrested.

In June 2016 he was convicted of 417.4 PC- Brandishing or Exhibiting Imitation Firearm in a Threatening Manner for his actions in May. He was sentenced to serve 10 months in custody. He was released from custody on Aug, 31, 2016 with no conditions of probation.

On Dec. 28, 2016, Petaluma Police received a telephone call from a witness who had seen the press release sent out regarding the theft. The caller reported that Jesse Pruett was in the area of CVS. Pruett, was contacted as he walked out of CVS in the Plaza North Shopping Center on North McDowell Blvd. Based on his previous interactions with Petaluma Police Department, he was detained at gunpoint and after ignoring police commands and being verbally confrontational, he was arrested without further incident.

Upon contact, police say Pruett provided two false names, and consented to a search of his wallet. In his wallet officers located a Social Security Card matching the name of one of the false names he had provided.

During a search of his backpack officers say they located a BB gun which had been altered to look like a real firearm. The firearm was determined to be the same make and model as the stolen BB gun from Big 5 the previous day. Also located was a disassembled Sig Sauer BB gun and a box of .22 ammunition.

Pruett was booked into Sonoma County Jail on various charges.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

NORTH BAY, CA -- Police are searching for a man who allegedly stole a air pellet pistol from a sporting goods store in Petaluma and then ran when confronted by employees.

At 9:14 p.m., officers were dispatched to Big 5 Sporting Goods at 105 N. McDowell Blvd. for a reported theft of merchandise.

According to a store employee, a man entered the store and selected a black and tan-colored Beretta PX4 Storm Recon air pellet pistol with a mounted red dot laser and flashlight (seen in one of the above photos). The suspect (also pictured above) then exited the store without paying for the item, police said.

Employees confronted the man outside the store but he fled on foot.

An employee described the suspect as a white man who is about 25 years old, 6 feet tall, about 180 pounds, with tattoos on his neck and a cheek piercing on the left side of his face. He was last seen wearing a black beanie, a black leather jacket, a gray-colored hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, light-gray and tan shoes, and a purple backpack, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Officer B. Sawyer at (707) 781-1248.

Bay City News contributed to this article/Images via Petaluma Police