Kids aged 11, 13 among suspects arrested for "violent and prolific" organized retail crime in San Francisco
Two children aged 11 and 13 years old were among a group of suspects in what police called "violent and prolific" organized retail crime that included dozens of smash-and-grab robberies in San Francisco, police said Thursday.
Some of the retail thefts involved violence against store employees, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. In most incidents, eight to 10 suspects would rush in and ransack the stores, at times breaking glass display cases to steal items, police said.
In several cases, police said suspects would force their way into stores that were closed but still occupied by workers. The suspects would often go behind the counters to confront employees, steal high-value items or or try to take cash from the register, police said.
In most cases, police said, the suspects fled before officers arrived. Four suspects were arrested by officers who arrived while a crime was in progress, according to San Francisco police.
On May 9, a police fugitive recovery team arrested 19-year-old Cuauhtemoc Ramirez for a Feb. 9 takeover robbery in which six suspects stole more than $6,000 in merchandise from a retail store on the 3500 block of Geary Boulevard. Ramirez was arrested at his home in Daly City and charged with felony robbery, burglary, organized retail theft, grand theft and other charges concerning other retail thefts. He was also charged with committing felonies while released on bail.
On July 31, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office filed charges against a 17-year-old boy arrested in several of the retail thefts. He was also charged with multiple counts of robbery, burglary, grand theft, organized retail theft and vandalism
San Francisco sheriff's deputies arrested a 13-year-old boy on May 9 suspected in several of the thefts after police investigators developed probable cause to issue a warrant for him. The boy also faces numerous charges of robbery, burglary, grand theft, organized retail theft and vandalism.
Police said investigators also identified an 11-year-old boy suspected in four of the organized retail thefts. Because of his age, the department referred his cases to San Francisco's Community Assessment and Referral Center, a juvenile justice diversion program.
Those with information about the retail thefts should contact the San Francisco police at 415-575-4444 or send a text to TIP411 and begin the message with "SFPD."