On January 16, 2026, an officer with the Apple Valley Police Department received a theft report regarding an incident that had occurred at a Walgreens store located in the city of Apple Valley, which is within Dakota County, on January 15, 2026. The officer made contact with S. M., an adult male fully identified in police reports, who was the manager on duty during the theft. S. M. Reported to the officer that he did not actually see the theft take place, but while working he had observed two men run out of the store, and after they left walked over to the fragrance shelf, at which time he discovered that the usually locked shelf had been breached and that several fragrances were missing.
An inventory was conducted and S. M. Determined that fifty-eight fragrances had been taken from the store, with a combined retail value of $3,375.42. The officer was able to secure security camera footage of the incident in question. In the footage two men, one of whom the officer identified from prior contacts as Avion Lee Hamer ([DOB redacted]), hereinafter “Defendant,” walk into the Walgreens, walk directly to the fragrance shelf and manage to open it. Defendant and the other man can then be seen placing various fragrance bottles in a bag Defendant was holding before leaving the store, passing all points of sale, and making no attempt to pay for the items.
