Orange County, CA—Authorities recently announced the arrest of two Anaheim, CA residents in connection to a string of thefts at Target stores in Irvine and Costa Mesa. This comes amongst a recent uptick in Organized Retail Crime (ORC) in the area. Now, some Orange County residents are changing their shopping habits as a result.
Terror in Target
FOX News reported that Analu Gonzalez and Alexis De Jesus Garcia were arrested for stealing $17,000 in goods from Target stores across Orange County. The duo are believed to have stolen baby formula during multiple thefts taking place over two months.
Surveillance footage captured Gonzalez, 25, and De Jesus Garcia, 22, filling shopping carts by the armful as they walked through the aisles of two Target locations in March and April of this year. Now, the pair is being charged with grand theft and organized retail theft.
In an interview with RosemaryWrightTV.com, Sargeant Karrie Davies of the Irvine Police Department confirmed that Gonzalez and De Jesus Garcia sold the stolen baby formula “online for profit.” Sgt. Davies went on to emphasize that ORC “is a growing problem” in Orange County.
Just this month, KCAL News shared that police in Orange County are now searching for another Target-based criminal. This time, the assailant is a serial burglar that authorities have described as “prolific.” Officer Oldoerp of the Irvine Police Department reportedly stated that this thief, a lone man, stole items like kitchen utensils and household goods from four Target locations in Irvine. Authorities believe the full range of this assailant’s thefts spans at least 25 Target storefronts in Southern California alone.
“I don't feel safe.”
A Yorba Linda resident, Randall M., told RosemaryWrightTV.com he avoids shopping at stores with repeated thefts because he fears for his safety. Other Orange County residents also wrote in about their hesitation to shop in these areas, with some even sharing stories of thefts they have witnessed locally at Target locations.
In a message to RosemaryWrightTV.com, Carly Fiske of Orange wrote that she has seen “multiple shoplifting attempts at the Target on Tustin St in Orange in the past year,” stating, “It gets a little scary” just how bold these thieves are. Fiske went on to detail two separate attempted thefts she witnessed firsthand at this Target location, explaining she feels “this must be a major problem” as she does not shop at the store often.
Another Orange resident, Andrena Rust Greenwood, told RosemaryWrightTV.com about a theft she witnessed at that same Target store location. Rust Greenwood says she watched as three men “came out of the side emergency door with several baskets of TVs” and then fled directly past her. Stunned, Rust Greenwood says the experience left her feeling “so scared,” and that it was “the craziest few minutes.”
Law & Order
In the wake of this increase in ORC in the region, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer “is sending a stern warning,” KABC reports. DA Spitzer is quoted as saying he “will throw the book” at thieves planning large-scale retail thefts. DA Spitzer left potential thieves with a chilling promise: “I will charge you with everything I can charge you with, […] and I will hold the judges accountable if they don't back us up."
When asked what she wanted the public to know about ORC, Sgt. Davies highlighted that, due to many retail stores’ “hands-off approach,” police rely on witness reports of theft. Sgt. Davies went on to emphasize that “it is essential that the community immediately report any suspicious activity to the police.”
