Police arrested one man and are searching for his two accomplices after the trio allegedly stole more than $30,000 worth of sunglasses Thursday from a store on Cannery Row in Monterey.
Monterey police received a call at 3:57 p.m. concerning a theft in progress at the Sunglass Hat at 750 Cannery Row.
Employees reported three suspects entered the store wearing masks and stole dozens of pairs of sunglasses, then fled the store on foot.
The estimated value of loss from the business was in excess of $30,000.
Police obtained surveillance footage of a silver Chrysler 300 sedan leaving the area at a high rate of speed and driving recklessly just after the theft.
Police at Cal State University Monterey Bay and Marina both reported spotting a similar vehicle on automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras shortly after the crime. At 4:31 p.m., the vehicle was spotted traveling on General Jim Moore Boulevard by an ALPR camera. Officers from CSU Monterey Bay and Marina police pulled the vehicle over in the 3000 block of Del Monte Avenue in Marina.
The vehicle yielded and the driver was detained. When officers attempted to detain the other occupants, one of them got into the driver's seat and fled in the vehicle. Police pursued the vehicle to Reservation Road and Highway 1 North. During the pursuit, one of the vehicle occupants threw out a bag of sunglasses that was later recovered.
The vehicle was last seen traveling at a high rate of speed on Highway 1 North.
The arrested driver was identified as Shawn Morita, 22, from Hayward. Morita was arrested on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, and organized retail theft. Morita was booked into the Monterey County Jail with bail set at $20,000.