On April 22, 2026, at approximately 6:00 P.M., Minneapolis St. Paul Airport Police Officers responded to a theft in progress at the duty-free store, located in the MSP Airport, in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Officers made contact with the reporting party who stated that a male, later identified as MARKENO RONDELL SANCHEZ MAZIQUE, hereafter Defendant, entered the store, concealed a pair of sunglasses and several fragrances on his person, and then left the store, passing all points of sale without making payment for the concealed items.
Defendant did not have permission to take the items without making payment. Officers reviewed video surveillance footage of this incident but were unable to locate Defendant, who had reportedly left the airport. The amount of merchandise stolen in this incident was in excess of $1,400. Two days later, on April 24, 2026, at approximately 1:35 P.M., MSP Airport Police Officers again responded to a theft in progress at the duty-free store in the airport. This time, Officers learned that Defendant and another individual had entered the store, selected several pairs of sunglasses, and exited the store without making payment.
The amount of merchandise stolen in this incident was $445. Defendant did not have permission to take the items without making payment. Officers reviewed video surveillance footage of this incident, confirming that Defendant was the same person involved in the prior theft on April 22. Officers located Defendant inside the airport, but the individual with him had already boarded a plane. When speaking with Officers, Defendant first denied being at the duty-free store at all that day. However, when Defendant was confronted with still images showing him inside the store, he changed his story, stating that the other individual was the one who stole the merchandise but that he didn’t steal anything.
Officers were able to see a pair of sunglasses in the side pocked of Defendant’s bag and asked for consent to search Defendant’s bags. Defendant gave Officers consent to search his bag. Inside the bag, Officers located the stolen sunglasses. Officers arrested Defendant for theft. In a search of the rest of Defendant’s bags incident to arrest Officers located the remainder of the merchandise stolen from the duty- free store on April 22, as well as a number of other merchandise items which appeared to be stolen from other stores.
In a post-Miranda statement, Defendant stated the following: He flew from New Orleans to Minneapolis on April 22. He was inside the duty-free store at the MSP airport on April 22 and exited the store with fragrances without paying for them. On April 24 he came to the airport to fly to Atlanta. On April 24, he stole a pair of black sunglasses from the duty-free store. The person he was with on April 24 was an old friend who was flying to Miami. Officers contacted the Sheriff’s Office in Miami, and Miami Officers were able to locate the other individual upon arrival at Miami airport.
