Tamaqua police were called to the Dollar General on East Broad Street for a report of a retail theft in progress at 3:45 p.m. April 25.

Officers spoke to the store manager who said she caught three men stealing merchandise. The trio left the store and when they returned, she had them empty the items from their backpacks.

The three left again and could not be immediately located by police. After about 15 minutes, police received a call from a neighbor who said she saw three males in sweats exit a wooded area.

Officers said they met the suspects. Two of them - Keyondre Lee, 20, of Summit Hill, and Justin Nunamacher, 18, of Northampton - gave police their correct identification but the third provided a false name and birth date. When he did, the others said that if they were getting into trouble, he should, too. The third admitted to lying and then told police his correct name, and that he was 17 years old and living in Northampton.

The three also told police they were homeless and staying at a home in Coaldale.

Lee and Nunamacher were cited for retail theft, and the teen had charges of retail theft and giving false identification to police referred to the juvenile system.