Woman charged in series of retail thefts targeting San Francisco Walgreens stores
SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco woman has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of retail thefts targeting Walgreens pharmacies in the city.
According to District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office, 24-year-old Savannah Church, also known as Ashley West, was arrested Wednesday without incident. Church was arraigned Thursday on eight counts of organized retail theft, eight counts of second degree commercial burglary and eight counts of grand theft.
Prosecutors said Church pled not guilty to the charges.
"Prolific, serial retail burglars, have an outsized impact on our community and must be held accountable," Jenkins said in a statement Friday.
According to prosecutors, Church is linked to at least eight thefts between June 10 and September 4. The incidents took place at Walgreens locations at 456 Mission Street, 1189 Potrero Avenue and 2494 San Bruno Avenue.
Prosecutors allege that Church, along with others, stole about $34,000 in goods from the three locations.
During Thursday's hearing, a judge granted the DA's request to detain Church before trial, citing the number of incidents in the case and the other cases she is facing. Prosecutors said Church has three other open cases in San Francisco alone, along with open cases in San Mateo and Alameda counties.
Church is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on October 13, according to the DA's office.
