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Officers were called to the store at 87 Post Road E. at 4:30 p.m., Friday, about a larceny in progress, police said.
Two men and two women had entered the store together, and one started a verbal disturbance in order to distract store employees, police said.
One of the men then picked up a box of merchandise and ran out the front door, police said. A store employee gave chase, and the man dropped the box, which was brought back to the store, police said.
Officer James Loomer and police canine Koda started a track that led officers to a man matching the description of one of the suspects, police said.
The store manager was driven by the scene and positively identified the suspect, who was identified as Andres Rojas, 38, of Corona, Nev.,
He was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he was charged with sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and sixth-degree larceny. Rojas was later released after posting $1,500 bond.
Westport police also made arrests in two recent shoplifting incidents at Stop & Shop.
At 3:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, police responded to Stop & Shop at 1790 Post Road E. Store security said a suspect, identified as Katherine Montgomery, 57, of Fairfield, was confronted after she was accused of concealed groceries worth $196.42 and left the store, police said.
Montgomery was released from the scene with a misdemeanor summons charging her with sixth-degree larceny.
Police were called to the same Stop & Shop at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, on another shoplifting report.
Store security told police that a heavy-set white male walked out of the store with a grocery cart filled with merchandise concealed in green grocery bags. After being confronted by store security, the suspect ran out of the parking lot, police said.
An officer later saw a heavy-set man matching the description and confronted him in an adjacent parking lot, police said.
The store security officer identified the man as the suspect he had confronted earlier, police said.
William Davenport, 41, of Bridgeport, was released from the scene with a misdemeanor summons charging him sixth-degree larceny.
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