MESA, AZ — Mesa police arrested a man accused of dressing as a Circle K employee and stealing more than $1,400 in lottery tickets from multiple convenience stores.
DeMarko Dangerfield, 30, was taken into custody after a series of incidents at three Circle K locations in Mesa.
The first incident happened on June 27 at a store near Lindsay and Baseline roads, where a store employee called police after Dangerfield walked out with lottery tickets.
On July 1, police say Dangerfield tried the same scheme at a second store near Stapley Drive and University Drive. He wore the Circle K T-shirt again, but an employee recognized him. Circle K had already warned its stores about the alleged scam.
About an hour later, police say Dangerfield went to a third store near McKellips Road and Power Road. Security cameras there show him punch an employee. Officers took him into custody at that location.
Gerri Martinez works part-time at the store on Baseline — one of the three targeted.
"It makes me mad. Employees lose their jobs over it. Somebody else is impersonating a Circle K employee and they can just walk into a store and steal stuff? It just blows my mind," Martinez said.
Court records show this is not Dangerfield's first offense. In 2020, he did something similar in Scottsdale and went to prison for it. Records show he was released from prison in June.
Police say handprints matched at the Mesa locations. Detective Jose Aguirre said the employee who recognized Dangerfield likely saved her store from being robbed.
"That employee saved that store from any losses,” Det. Aguirre said.
Aguirre also noted that other Valley police departments are investigating crimes Dangerfield may be connected to.
"They move around. They don't want to be stagnant in one place. They'll move around. In their mind, they're not going to be caught,” Det. Aguirre added.
