Southern California Authorities Crack Down on Holiday Retail Theft

The Macy's store at Mission Valley mall in San Diego on Jan. 5, 2017. Reuters/Mike Blake

With holiday shopping in full swing, California law enforcement agencies are cracking down on shoplifting with major retail crime busts.

In the San Bernardino County town of Upland, six men were arrested Dec. 14 on suspicion of organized retail theft, the Police Department reported Monday.

The suspects were caught on surveillance video casually grabbing clothing from racks and leaving the store with handfuls of clothing and shoes.

According to the video posted by Upland police, a store associate was able to give dispatchers a description of the suspects’ getaway vehicle. Police stopped the car and found stacks of clothing and shoeboxes, along with a fake firearm, according to the video.

Some of the suspects had existing warrants, according to Upland police.

In all, over $1,000 in merchandise was recovered and their vehicle was towed, the department reported.

Another retail heist was stopped Dec. 13 by police in Citrus Heights, about 15 miles northeast of Sacramento, the department reported Monday.

Police in Citrus Heights, north of Sacramento, reported the arrest of two people suspected of shoplifting from several locations. Citrus Heights Police

Police responded to a shoplifting call at HomeGoods on Birdcage Centre Lane on Friday. Store security employees followed the shoplifting suspects, who reportedly fled in a Jeep.

Police quickly located the Jeep and arrested Dominique Starks, of Oakland, and Starr Jones, of San Leandro, California.

Inside the Jeep, police uncovered stolen property and identification cards linked to potential identity theft victims, according to the report.

Further investigation revealed that Starks and Jones were tied to multiple felony thefts in Rio Vista, Fremont, and Natomas, the police department reported.

Starks, who has a history of theft convictions, and Jones were booked on charges that included organized retail theft, conspiracy to commit theft, identity theft, possession of stolen property, and burglary.

“Follow-up investigations are underway with additional stores believed to have been repeatedly victimized by these offenders,” the Citrus Heights Police Department wrote on social media Monday.

In Ventura County, the Sheriff’s Office teamed up with security from Target, JCPenney, Macy’s, and Allied Security during a Shoplift With a Cop operation Dec. 6 and 7, arresting 21 adults and 16 juveniles suspected of stealing merchandise.

“This effort highlights the significant shoplifting challenges affecting not only the mall but also businesses across the county,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Dec. 12 statement.

The operation was conducted at Pacific View Mall, about 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles in the city of Ventura, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

During the task force’s operation, detectives also recovered nearly $2,000 in stolen property and seized burglary tools, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other narcotics, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The ages of those arrested ranged from 18 to 53, according to the statement.