Trio With $3K In Stolen Nike Merchandise Leads Cops On Chase: PD

PETALUMA, CA — Three people were found with $3,000 in stolen Nike merchandise after leading law enforcement on a two-county chase, the Petaluma Police Department said.

Officers were dispatched shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday to the Petaluma Village Outlets, where a grab-and-run style theft was reported at the Nike store.

"Employees at Nike reported that a male suspect had just fled from the store holding armfuls of Nike merchandise valued at over $950," Petaluma police Sgt. Daniel Boyd said. "The suspect got into a waiting vehicle and fled the area. The vehicle was described as a silver Ford F-150."

An officer traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 101 saw a silver Ford F-150 heading south near the offramp to Lakeville Highway. The officer recognized the license plate on the truck, as it matched a theft reported a week earlier at Nike.

As the Ford continued southbound on U.S. 101 into Novato, the officer stayed behind it and requested air support from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Once the appropriate number of law enforcement resources were in position, including officers with the California Highway Patrol, Novato Police Department, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Helicopter, Henry-1, a traffic enforcement stop was initiated on the Ford.

The Ford did not yield to the officer's red lights and sirens, instead leading the officer on a 3-mile pursuit through Novato. The Ford did not exceed 65 mph and stayed on the 101 until the teenage driver stopped south of Ignacio Boulevard, police said.

Law enforcement detained the three people inside the Ford and located evidence of the theft inside the truck.

The trio was taken to the Petaluma Police Department, where the person who committed the theft was identified as 18-year-old Jose Garcia Cruz, out of Richmond, Boyd said.

Garcia Cruz was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, organized retail theft with intent, shoplifting and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The juvenile driver and the other passenger, a juvenile, were taken to the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention Facility, where they were booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, organized retail theft with intent, and shoplifting.

The juvenile driver faces an additional charge of vehicle evading.

Officers discovered evidence of merchandise stolen from other Nike stores in the area, including Napa and Vacaville. The total amount recovered was approximately $3,000 worth of Nike merchandise, police said.

The Petaluma Police Department thanked the California Highway Patrol, the Novato Police Department, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and its Henry-1 crew for their assistance with the safe apprehension of the suspects.