Turlock police recover more than $10k worth of merchandise in retail theft blitz
TURLOCK — The Turlock Police Department announced they recovered more than $10,000 worth of merchandise in a retail theft blitz.
The thefts happened at a shopping area on Countryside Drive that features big department stores like Kohl's and Sephora which can be a target for repeated retail thefts.
Fawn Smolak, the Stanislaus County deputy district attorney, said they are prosecuting two separate cases of these organized thefts.
Photos show shopping carts filled with Nike-branded sweats, and a stroller full of skincare products. Authorities also seized a trunk full of Stanley Cups.
The first case involves a man and a woman. The second case involves three women. All defendants were charged with organized retail theft.
"It is an organized retail theft. It is an act in concert to steal merchandise for one or more multiple merchants. The aggregated value of $950, it can be issued as a felony," Smolak said.
The defendants were arraigned Friday afternoon. The next hearing is on February 8th for both of these cases at the Stanislaus County courthouse.