A busy day for San Mateo police and retail theft arrests
5 arrested in connection to retail thefts in San Mateo
Police say it was a busy day for retail thefts in San Mateo on Wednesday. Incidents at lululemon, Macys and The Home Depot resulted in five arrests. In one case, a U-Haul that was reported stolen was used.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Police say it was a busy day for retail crime in San Mateo on Wednesday. Suspects were arrested for thefts at lululemon, Macy's, The Home Depot and in once instance, a U-Haul reported stolen was used.
What we know:
Officials with the San Mateo Police Department said officers were dispatched to a lululemon at the Hillsdale Shopping Center at around 11:15 a.m. That's where a suspect, identified as Teivishon Nelson Salahudin, 30, of Reno, Nevada, and another person are alleged to have concealed $875 in merchandise to then try to return it to the store for credit. Officials said the plot involved the intent to then sell the merchandise credit card at a discounted rate.
San Mateo police make retail theft arrests.
Salahudin was arrested and charged for petty theft and for organized retail theft with intent to sell.
Just hours later, police returned to the lululemon store for a call that several females who had stolen from the store before had returned to the store and made a refund transaction. Investigators said the merchandise involved was from a Los Angeles lululemon store and was located in an associate's vehicle.
One suspect, identified as Endya Patteway, 26, of Union City was arrested on a felony warrant. Officials said the charges regarding possession of stolen property are still being finalized.
At around 2 p.m., about 45 minutes after the second incident, there was more trouble at lululemon. A woman, described by police as a "known thief," identified as Crystal Sandling, 41, of Antioch, along with an accomplice tried to pull the same refund transaction as the people from the second incident.
Police said Sandling was stopped in her vehicle after she left the mall.
"17 pieces of merchandise, a security tag remover, and a tinfoil-lined paper bag (used to defeat security alarms) were located," police said in a news release. Sandling was arrested. Police said an arrest warrant for possession of stolen property is being sought for her accomplice.
Within minutes, police got a call from Macy's. The call ended in a shoplifting citation.
At 2:44 p.m., police got a call about a theft in progress at The Home Depot. Omar Gomez, 50, described by police as a transient, allegedly stole $886 worth of merchandise. Police said they approached the suspect in a U-Haul reported stolen. Gomez's passenger, who allegedly had drug paraphernalia in her possession, was arrested on drug-related charges. Gomez was arrested and charged with petty theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. They were booked into the San Mateo County Jail.
Police said the arrests were made as part of the Organized Retail Theft Task Force, a collaborative effort with the Daly City, San Bruno and San Mateo Police Departments.
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