San Francisco woman arrested in connection with Union Square retail theft
Police in San Francisco on Thursday confirmed the recent arrest of a woman suspected of being involved in an October retail burglary that targeted a store in Union Square, authorities said.
According to a release issued by the San Francisco Police Department, the female suspect -- identified as 24-year-old San Francisco resident Denayaha Duree -- was allegedly involved in a retail robbery early the morning of October 11 that targeted a business on the 100 block of Post Street. According to the release, at around 2:42 a.m., officers patrolling the area of Union Square spotted three vehicles recklessly driving away from a retail store that had just been burglarized.
Police tried to conduct a traffic stop on one of the vehicles which ran a red light as it fled at a high rate, leading officers to stop the pursuit out of public safety concerns. Police returned to the targeted business and met with store security before conducting a walkthrough of the business to determine if any suspects were still in the building.
The investigation determined that two vehicles parked in front of the building while one vehicle backed into the front doors to force entry into the business. Multiple unknown suspects then exited the vehicles and entered the business, stealing store merchandise prior to fleeing the scene. Police collected evidence and followed several leads in the investigation, with the SFPD Burglary Unit taking the lead. Burglary Unit investigators recovered two stolen vehicles used in the incident, including the vehicle that was driven into the front of the store.
On November 1, investigators developed probable cause to arrest suspect Duree for an unrelated burglary and earlier this week were able to connect her to the October 11 burglary while she was still in custody. She was booked on charges of felony burglary, vandalism and possession of stolen property. Duree was arrested earlier this year in Hawaii and extradited back to San Francisco to face charges in connection with retail thefts at the Stonestown Galleria and other downtown luxury stores.
Although an arrest has been made, the case remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.