Where Are All Those Stolen Stretchy Pants, Sunglasses, And Handbags Turning Up?

This latest development in the current, ongoing battle against seemingly unfettered retail theft has been around for a few days but we opted to let it germinate a little, see what developed. We predicted there’d be some proactive enforcement and arrests after a series of high-profile thefts and this appears to be a good start.

An investigation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Golden Gate Division’s, Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) and the San Francisco Police Department, resulted in the arrest of an individual, the discovery of a retail theft operation, the recovery of approximately $75,000 in stolen merchandise, and the seizure of $21,800 in evidentiary cash, the CHP’s investigative division has announced.

Working in conjunction with retail investigators, the CHP said an individual was identified as selling stolen merchandise at a public venue, which led to ORCTF members obtaining a search warrant on December 21, 2021, at a residence in San Francisco. The San Francisco Police Department Retail Theft Unit assisted with the execution of the search warrant and located evidence of a retail theft operation at the residence.

Stolen merchandise included items from Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Target, Dicks, and Burberry, among numerous others. The individual was not present at the residence during the execution of the warrant, and an arrest warrant was issued. Ingrid Maria Alfaro, 64, of San Francisco, later surrendered herself to the Oakland Police Department. CHP ORCTF Investigators placed Alfaro under arrest and booked her on Organized retail crime charges on December 27, 2021.

That day, a separate investigation being led by the ORCTF into a retail theft criminal enterprise led investigators to obtain a separate search warrant at a residence in Antioch. Task force members located evidence of a retail theft operation there and recovered approximately another $47,783 in stolen merchandise and booked $26,048 more cash into evidence.

Stolen merchandise included products from ULTA Beauty, Express, Nordstrom, Sun Glass Hut, LuluLemon, Hollister, Victoria’s Secret, TJX, and American Eagle, and numerous others. Task force members placed 43-year-old Herlinda Estrada-Mijares, of Antioch, under arrest and booked her on Organized retail crime charges.

Additional investigations – the the possibility of additional arrests – are forthcoming, according to local law enforcement.