Retail theft suspects arrested following Santa Rosa clothing store heist
Police in Santa Rosa on Monday arrested four people suspected in the coordinated retail theft of a business earlier that day, the department said.
Just before noon, officers responded to the 2400 block of Magowan Drive on a report of a retail theft at the Montgomery Village shopping center. Witnesses said two men entered the business and stole dozens of designer jackets worth about $10,000. The suspects ran from the store and jumped into a car being driven by a woman, which then sped away.
Police did not identify the store involved.
A witness gave police the getaway car's license plate information and detectives patrolled for the vehicle all afternoon. At about 5:39 p.m., an officer spotted the car and made a traffic stop near Cleveland and College avenues. Police allege the same female theft suspect was driving the car; she also had two passengers.
Officers searched the car and allegedly found one of the stolen jackets, methamphetamine, and evidence of identity theft and check fraud.
Police arrested the driver, Stephanie De Soto, 38, of Santa Rosa, on suspicion of organized retail theft with intent to sell, identity theft, and possession of controlled substances. The other two people in her car were not associated with the retail thefts but were arrested on suspicion of identity theft, forgery, and possession of a controlled substance.
Investigators then began to search for the other two outstanding retail theft suspects. Police said they identified them during the vehicle search and discovered that both were staying at a local motel. Detectives obtained search warrants around 11 p.m. and subsequently arrested two Santa Rosa men, Kenneth Torres, 47, and Randall Hendry, 40.
Both men were booked on suspicion of organized retail theft with intent to sell, burglary, grand theft, and conspiracy. Hendry was also booked on suspicion of possession of stolen property and a controlled substance.
Police said they recovered about a quarter of the stolen jackets and believe that the rest had been sold.
