Seattle police say a coordinated retail-theft blitz at Westwood Village last Tuesday ended with 11 arrests and roughly $2,800 in stolen merchandise recovered, including one suspect investigators allege has been racking up about $17,000 in thefts in recent months.
According to an incident summary on the SPD Blotter, GIU detectives teamed up with officers from the North and Southwest precincts and store loss-prevention staff around 11 a.m. to spot and detain suspected shoplifters. Police report that 11 people were arrested during the sweep and that about $2,800 worth of merchandise was seized.
Local reporting by the West Seattle Blog adds that one of those arrested was booked in an organized retail-theft case that allegedly totals about $17,000 in stolen goods, and that a juvenile was stopped from shoplifting and then trespassed from a store. The blog notes its reporters are following up with SPD for more detail.
Repeat Crackdowns At The Same Shopping Center
The latest operation fits a pattern of targeted enforcement at Westwood Village. As noted on the SPD Blotter, a February operation focused on Marshalls and Ross led to five arrests, signaling that the department has repeatedly concentrated its retail-theft efforts at the center.
How Washington’s Organized-Retail-Theft Law Comes Into Play
Washington’s organized-retail-theft statute lets prosecutors bundle multiple thefts together and treat thefts committed with accomplices differently. First-degree organized retail theft applies when the value of stolen property reaches $5,000 or more, which makes it a class B felony. That means the suspect investigators say is tied to roughly $17,000 in thefts could face felony charges if prosecutors consolidate those incidents, under RCW 9A.56.350…