Woman caught with nearly $500K worth of goods swiped from drug stores: police

A California woman was arrested after she was found to be in possession of more than $450,000 worth of stolen merchandise.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a Facebook post that 35-year-old Claudia Cruz was charged with organized retail crime, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit crime for her alleged involvement in a fencing operation.

Last Month, CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCTF) began investigating a criminal network involved in a series of thefts targeting various retailers in the Bay Area.

By conducting surveillance operations, investigators identified suspects believed to be part of an Oakland-based illegal fencing operation, where criminals buy and sell stolen goods.

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A California woman was arrested after an investigation found she was allegedly in possession of over $450,000 worth of stolen merchandise at her home, in her cars and inside her storage unit. (California Highway Patrol)

Using the information gathered, investigators obtained search warrants for a residence and multiple vehicles. The search warrants were executed on Aug. 15 with the help of the San Ramon Police Department.

During the search, investigators located a large quantity of stolen merchandise, which was seized and taken to a facility to be documented.

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The stolen goods were worth around $450,000 and had mainly been swiped from drug stores, police said. (California Highway Patrol)

Detectives also learned during the search that Cruz leased a storage facility in Oakland. After obtaining an additional search warrant for the storage facility, investigators located additional stolen merchandise.

The estimated value of the stolen property was more than $450,000 and consisted mainly of goods sold at drug stores.

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Ultimately, Cruz was arrested and booked into the Alameda County Jail.