Zanzibar Fair Trade co-owner Josh Varner said he was unsurprised upon learning that an alleged thief, accused of pilfering about $100,000 of rare antiques from his Land Park business, failed to appear in court this month after being released from jail.
That’s because the 50-year-old man accused in the Oct. 1 theft, Robert Price, has done this many times before, said Varner — and prosecutors. Price racked up more than 20 felony convictions throughout two decades in Sacramento, several of which related to burglarizing businesses, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
“It was a devastating violation that I am still emotionally recovering from,” Varner added.
After being released from state prison in April 2023, Price picked up more criminal charges last year, including allegations he smashed Zanzibar Fair Trade’s glass windows on Broadway before burglarizing it.
District Attorney Thien Ho held up Zanzibar Fair Trade’s theft Tuesday to explain the toll heaped onto small businesses in the wake of crimes . The comments came during Ho’s announcement of a dedicated unit prosecuting organized retail theft.