A coordinated retail theft operation at South Coast Plaza came to an abrupt end when Costa Mesa Police officers, working alongside mall security and store loss prevention personnel, arrested five suspects accused of stealing merchandise from Nordstrom and Macy’s.
According to the Costa Mesa Police Department, South Coast Plaza Security received a report from Nordstrom loss prevention staff regarding three men and two women allegedly working together to steal and conceal merchandise. Security personnel coordinated with responding officers, who positioned themselves at multiple exits around the store.
Police said two of the suspects attempted to leave Nordstrom carrying a bag filled with merchandise but abandoned the bag and walked away after noticing officers. The remaining three suspects reportedly fled through the west-side entrance and ran toward a nearby bridge before being detained near an elevator. The other two suspects were subsequently located and detained near the Corner Bakery at The Village in Santa Ana…