CHP arrests 2 Oakland residents in $85K retail theft case
OAKLAND – The California Highway Patrol said they arrested two Oakland residents and recovered more than $85,000 in stolen merchandise following a retail theft investigation involving items sold at flea markets.
According to the agency's Golden Gate Division, detectives with the Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) began investigating stolen Victoria's Secret merchandise begin sold at the Coliseum Flea Market last month. Officers said the suspects were selling the merchandise, with retail tags attached.
On Tuesday, detectives said they found the same suspects selling "significant quantities of retail goods" at a flea market in Galt, about 20 miles south of Sacramento.
According to the CHP, investigators from Victoria's Secret performed a product scan, which found the items were not sold by any of their stores. The recovered items were valued at more than $20,000.
Detectives followed the suspects after they left the flea market and detained them following a traffic stop.
A search of their vehicle yielded stolen items from other retailers, including Lululemon, ULTA Beauty, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, Safeway and Walgreens.
Retail representatives estimated the value of the items to exceeding $85,000.
The suspects are identified as 32-year-old Roberto Luna-Varela and 31-year-old Daniela Cruz Barragan, both from Oakland. Luna-Varela and Barragan face charges of possessing stolen property.
"The ORCTF continues to partner with the retail industry with the common goal of arresting those who participate in the theft and sale of stolen goods," the CHP said in a statement Thursday.
It was not known when the suspects would appear in court on the charges.