Suspects arrested for theft at Target stores
Over the weekend of Aug. 23, Ventura County authorities arrested 22 individuals accused of theft at local Target stores in Simi Valley and Moorpark. Police were able to recover an estimated total of $1,400 in merchandise, along with methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
The operation involved the Simi Valley Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Target Corporation, Moorpark Detective Bureau and other California law enforcement agencies. The suspects included three juveniles and 19 adults, ranging from 15-years-old to 61-years-old, some being Simi Valley and Moorpark residents and others living outside Ventura County.
Ronald Haynes and Brent Walkins were both arrested for obtaining money by false pretenses on a $20,000 bail. Haynes remains in custody in Los Angeles with a court date of Sep. 6 and Walkins was released after booking.
Alyssa Castro and Jenna Haxton are both Simi Valley residents and were arrested for conspiracy to commit organized retail theft. They were both released after posting bail and have a court date of Sept. 9.
Michael Blumenthal was arrested for conspiracy to commit organized retail theft and remains in custody. Maylson Gomez-Torres, Luis Gomez-Oliva and Yorli Lopez-Saenz were all arrested for conspiracy to commit shoplifting.
These defendants were caught by police officers a part of a two-day blitz operation by the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force. A blitz operation involves a strategic set up of law enforcement resources in specific locations on specific days with the goal of arresting shoplifters and retail thieves.
The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force is a grant-funded program overseen by the sheriff’s office. It has allowed Ventura County’s law enforcement agencies to prevent roughly $10 million loss per year from organized retail theft, vehicle theft and cargo theft.
As shoplifting and retail theft have been recurring problems in the past, many Target stores around the world have enforced stricter security and even lock up everyday items such as shampoo and toothpaste behind glass encasings.
