On Wednesday, Newark’s Home Depot parking lot became the scene of a tense confrontation as a suspect, now identified as Samuel Grajales, threatened a community member with a handgun after being confronted for shoplifting. The Newark Police Department reported that the incident occurred last Wednesday around 7:59 AM at 5401 Thornton Avenue. The witness, who escaped harm, played a crucial role in the subsequent arrest by recording the altercation and providing a detailed description of the suspect and his vehicle.
The Newark Police, using investigative tools such as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), tracked down the vehicle to Oakland. Here, the Southern Alameda County Major Crimes Task Force (SACMCTF) took over, later arresting 34-year-old Oakland resident Grajales, according to a release by the Newark Police Department. Not only did detectives recover the stolen power tools from his car, but they also discovered that Grajales was wanted on other criminal charges.
Grajales is now facing formal charges for the shoplifting incident and for brandishing a firearm, as evidenced by the swift actions taken by local law enforcement. The case has been passed to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to determine the full scope of charges…