Shoplifting 'Blitz' Operation At This RivCo Mall

HEMET, CA — An undercover sting operation targeting suspects perpetrating thefts in stores at a Hemet mall netted five arrests, authorities said Monday.

"Operation Blitz" was conducted Friday by Hemet Police Department Organized Retail Theft Team personnel deployed for six hours at the Village West Shopping Center on West Florida Avenue.

According to the police department, undercover officers positioned themselves strategically to monitor activity within several outlets that have been plagued by coordinated thefts in recent months.

"Organized retail theft is far more than casual shoplifting," the agency stated. "These crimes are often carried out by individuals working together in a coordinated manner, stealing large amounts of merchandise with the intent to resell it."

During the operation, five individuals, including a parolee, were apprehended while in the act of stealing, police said, without disclosing their identities.

The parties were all booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of organized retail theft and other allegations. Bail amounts weren't specified.

"The profits from these thefts are sometimes funneled into larger criminal enterprises," according to the police department. "Beyond the economic harm, retail theft can escalate into dangerous confrontations that place store employees, shoppers, and the community at risk."