Palo Alto police reported two separate incidents of organized retail theft at Stanford Shopping Center — one that landed three men in jail, and another with two suspects still at large.
Police said around 5:42 p.m. Tuesday, a trio of men took five Coach handbags, valued at $1,180, from the Macy’s store at the shopping center. The store’s security alarms activated as the men fled the store. Macy’s staff were not able to stop the suspects, and they called the police. An officer went to Macy’s to take a report and view their security footage.
The men were detained by Nordstrom loss prevention staff — at the same shopping center — around 6:22 p.m.; they had allegedly tried to leave the store with over $800 worth of cologne. Police said they determined that it was the same group that stole the handbags from Macy’s.
After officers located the men’s car in the parking lot, they found four of the five stolen bags in the car, along with other handbags, bedding and clothing. Palo Alto police said the investigating officers were still working to identify the stores from which the other merchandise may have been taken.
The three men — all San Francisco residents, in their 20s and 30s, police said — were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of organized retail theft, police said. One of the men was also charged on suspicion of having a fake ID. Another man had an outstanding arrest warrant related to a theft charge.
All three men were set to appear in court Friday afternoon. Their bails ranged from $10,000 to $13,000.
Another retail theft incident occurred last week at the same shopping center, but no arrests were made, Palo Alto police said.
Loss prevention officers at Lululemon discovered a theft that occurred around 12:19 p.m. June 1. According to police, video footage showed two women entering the store with empty shopping bags, stuffing their bags with $1,630 worth of clothing and leaving the store. The same women returned to the store and took more clothing, leaving with a total of $2,200 worth of jackets, leggings, tank tops and men’s and women’s shirts and pants.
Officers are still investigating the thefts, Palo Alto police said.
Source: www.mercurynews.com