Crime & Safety
Smash-'n'-Grab Sunglass Thieves Sentenced For San Diego County Spree
The duo learned their fate for swiping more than $200,000 in swanky merchandise over three months from Sunglass Hut and other shops.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — Two men who took part in a string of thefts at upscale stores across San Diego County, leading to more than $200,000 in merchandise stolen across a three-month span, were each sentenced Thursday to three years and eight months in state prison.
Ernesto Louis Cruz and Jordan Guzman Lopez, both 27, targeted nine Sunglass Hut locations — some of which were robbed multiple times — and three high-end stores last year, according to Deputy District Attorney Steven Nguyen.
The prosecutor said the men threatened employees during the "smash- and-grab" style hold-ups and motioned to the victims as though they were armed in order to gain compliance.
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According to Nguyen, the defendants were reselling the stolen merchandise online.
Both men pleaded guilty earlier this year to robbery and grand theft counts.
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In a statement, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said robberies of this sort have been "on the increase in the past five years."
Stephan said, "Organized criminal rings steal large amounts of goods from businesses of all types and sizes with the intent to resell them, particularly through unregulated online marketplaces."
