Man Allegedly Tries To Steal Three Air Conditioners from Home Depot In Somerville

Successfully shoplifting three air conditioners in the middle of the day sounds like a tall order, even for the most experienced thieves. But Somerville Police say that’s exactly what a suspect attempted on Thursday.

Police report that at about 2 p.m., Robert Scafidi, 43, of Newton, was spotted at Home Depot exiting the store with three air conditioners, an eight-pack of PowerAde, and a Dewalt Power Washer on a flatbed cart without paying for any of the items.

Asked by store security what the heck was happening, Scafidi allegedly said he had paid for the items, and his friend in a nearby U-Haul had the receipt.

The aforementioned U-Haul was locked, and the friend was nowhere to be found. Scafidi then allegedly returned to the store, and tried to use an illegal knife to cut open a package containing a drill. Police say Scafidi was unsteady on his feet upon their arrival, and has been charged with larceny and knife possession.

Sign up for Somerville newsletters and alerts here.