An employee of a State Street clothing store discovered Ugg boots are sufficient crime-fighintng footwear after she and an unidentified student chased down a man who had allegedly left the store with stolen merchandise Thursday.
According to the Madison Police Department, Russel L. Guthrie, 47, entered Sports World at 510 State St. around 12:30 p.m. wearing a green camouflaged jacket. After departing the store, employees realized the man had left a sweatshirt and empty hanger in a dressing room stall.
Livia Novitzke, 22, the Sports World employee who ran after Guthrie, called the police as a precautionary measure.
Guthrie re-entered the store 30 minutes later wearing a new North Face jacket. Novitzke said she immediately recognized him.
Novitzke followed Guthrie out the front door of the store and chased him down West Gilman Street until an anonymous student threw down his backpack and tackled him.
Police arrived moments later and arrested Guthrie.
Novitzke said she took off after him because the store has had shoplifters before, and they are usually hard to catch.
I just kind of went for it,"" she said. ""The only thing I was thinking was that these Ugg boots are not made for running.
