RIDGECREST, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Police said officers arrested a shoplifting suspect Wednesday night after he was involved in an altercation at Walmart in Ridgecrest.

Around 7:35 p.m., officers responded to Walmart, located at 201 East Bowman Road, for a report of people fighting. They arrived and found the suspect, Samuel Gonzalez, of Ridgecrest, who was wanted for a previous burglary on Wednesday.

Police said he fled the scene into a desert area just south of the Walmart. A short time later, Gonzalez was found and taken into custody.

The neighborhood and Walmart were deemed safe.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the arrest of the suspect.