Alameda police recover $75,000 in stolen merchandise in retail theft bust

An investigation into a retail theft at a clothing store resulted in an arrest and the recovery of approximately $75,000 worth of stolen property from a retail theft operation, police said.

ALAMEDA — An investigation into a retail theft at a clothing store resulted in an arrest and the recovery of approximately $75,000 worth of stolen property from a retail theft operation, police said.

Employees at an Old Navy in the South Shore Shopping Center reported a grand theft at the store on Feb. 9, sparking the investigation. Alameda police in a statement said investigators identified a pattern in similar retail theft cases when organized groups entered a business and removed large quantities of merchandise.

“While we celebrate this significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to address organized retail theft, we recognize our work is far from over,” Alameda police Lt. Brian Foster said in a statement. “We remain committed to working closely with our community partners to ensure safe shopping experiences and help support the success of our local businesses.”

Police said they worked with Old Navy’s security team to identify the people entering the stores and those taking the merchandise, then collaborated with security teams from nine separate stores in the South Shore Shopping Center, witnesses and the California Highway Patrol.

They did not say who was arrested.

The collaboration led to the recovery of eight truckloads of stolen merchandise, multiple stolen vehicles and more than $10,000 in cash, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.