'Prolific' Retail Theft Suspect Arrested; Used Self-Checkout Kiosks To Steal From San Francisco Target Store
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise from a San Francisco Target store by using the self-checkout feature and walking away with merchandise after paying with a dollar.
District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Aziza Graves was arrested Wednesday for 120 incidents involving thefts totaling more than $40,000 in value from the Target at Stonestown Galleria shopping mall between October 2020 and November 2021. Graves was arrested at the store following an investigation by the DA's office and the police department.
"I am proud of our office's leadership, meticulous investigation, and cross-agency coordination with the San Francisco Police Department," said Boudin in a prepared statement. "We are committed to stopping those who participate in organized retail theft, including by dismantling the fencing networks that make this type of crime profitable."
"The suspect in this case has been a particularly brazen and prolific retail theft offender," said Police Chief Bill Scott in a prepared statement. "We hope this case — like many others on which we partner with our local prosecutors — sends a strong message to would-be shoplifters that their lawless conduct won't be tolerated in San Francisco."
According to the DA's office, in nearly all of the alleged incidents at the Stonestown Target, Graves used self-checkout kiosks to scan merchandise and then paid one dollar in cash, or in some instances, one cent. Graves allegedly then would leave the kiosk without completing the transactions.
Graves was charged with eight felony counts of grand theft and 120 misdemeanor counts of petty theft.