Quintet of Thieves Rush Safeway for $460 Worth of Toiletries

Five Oakland residents were arrested after stealing $460 worth of toiletries and hygiene products from the Fremont Hub Safeway Tuesday evening, police said.

Fremont police received a call at 5:40 p.m. from a witness saying that three women had run into the store with bags and ran out into a waiting car shortly after.

The witness followed the car, a black Pontiac with yellow paper plates, onto Mowry Avenue. A sergeant in the area quickly responded and picked up the vehicle as it turned onto Fremont Boulevard.

The suspect vehicle entered the Valero station nearby and tried to cut through the lot.

Officers eventually conducted a lengthy, high-risk stop as the suspects were uncooperative, Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques said.

A majority of the suspects were confrontational and failed to comply with numerous commands from officers, Bosques added.

After removing the suspects from the car, officers located a total of three plastic bags and three purses stuffed with shampoo, medicine, lotion and other personal care products in the trunk and inside of the car.

Police also found an open container of alcohol — a 24 oz. tall can of Steel Reserve beer — inside the car. The driver, a 19-year-old man, was also unlicensed, Bosques said.

In the end, five suspects including the 19-year-old driver, a 19-year-old woman, a 34-year-old woman, a 39-year-old woman and a 42-year-old woman, all from Oakland, were arrested on suspicion of various burglary and conspiracy to commit crime charges.

The 34-year-old woman was also charged with giving false identification to police and was arrested for a probation violation, police said.

Most of the stolen products, which totaled an estimated $461.10, were returned to Safeway. Some of the items may have been taken from elsewhere, according to police.

Bosques said that the suspects likely intended to resell the items on the streets. Certain products cost around $20, she said.

“They’re not cheap,” Bosques added.

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