Mill Valley Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Boat Gear in Sausalito

A Mill Valley man suspected of shoplifting more than $100 worth of merchandise from a Sausalito store last week was arrested as he was leaving the same store on Tuesday with nearly $300 in stolen goods, police said.

An employee at West Marine Products, a boating gear store at 295 Harbor Drive, called police at about 8:46 a.m. after noticing a customer who matched the description of a man who had shoplifted from the store on April 12, according to police.

The employee spoke to the man, later identified as James Bartunek, 52, of Mill Valley, and officers arrived as he was exiting the store, police said.

Officers searched Bartunek and found $295 worth of merchandise believed to have been stolen from the business, according to police.

Through further investigation, officers linked Bartunek to last week's theft, in which $130 of merchandise was stolen, police said.

Bartunek was booked into Marin County Jail and was being held on $15,000 bail.

--Bay City News Service