Suspicious Activity At Santa Rosa Costco Leads To 2 Arrests

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies made two arrests Wednesday afternoon after observing a suspicious individual walk out of a Costco in Santa Rosa with stolen merchandise. Detectives first noticed a suspect, later identified as 29-year-old San Francisco man Vincent Rathe, looking into parked cars in the parking lot before he went into the store.

Rathe was hiding something under his shirt when he came back out of the store. Detectives followed him to his car, where they also found 35-year-old Michele Peacock of the Santa Rosa/Windsor area sitting in the passenger seat.

Rathe and Peacock are both on probation so detectives searched them, allegedly finding an automotive product stolen from Costco as well as several power tools connected to a burglary in Windsor.

Rathe was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property and violating the terms of his probation, both of which are felonies. He's being held in the Sonoma County Jail on no-bail status, according to deputies.

Peacock was also arrested on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia and violating the terms of her probation, both misdemeanors.

She was later released on a citation, deputies said.

By Bay City News Service

Image via Sonoma County Sheriff's Office