San Ramon Police, CHP Help Uncover $450K In Stolen Merchandise

SAN RAMON, CA — The San Ramon Police Department’s Organized Retail Theft Suppression Team partnered with the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force to recover over $450,000 in stolen merchandise, SRPD and CHP reported.

In July, the CHP task force launched an investigation into a criminal network involved in a string of retail thefts targeting retailers throughout the Bay Area. Investigators identified suspects based in Oakland, and obtained search warrants for a home and multiple vehicles.

On Aug. 15, CHP and San Ramon police searched a home in Oakland, where they say they found a large amount of stolen merchandise. Investigators say that during the search, they learned that the suspects were leasing a storage facility in Oakland. Investigators obtained an additional warrant to search the facility, where they say they found over $450,000 worth of stolen items, mostly from drug stores.

Claudia Cruz, 35, of Oakland, was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail on charges of organized retail crime, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a crime.

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