A white rental van with Arizona plates caught the eye of Rancho Cordova police, and officers say what they found inside was the tail end of a retail theft spree stretching across the greater Sacramento area.
Police say they arrested three people after stopping the van in a store parking lot and finding what they describe as merchandise stolen from department stores in multiple cities. Investigators told reporters the bust capped a broader pattern of thefts that had been hitting retailers around the region.
According to police, officers moved in after spotting the van, detained a woman as she stepped out, then detained the driver and a male passenger. Store loss prevention staff later positively identified the trio, and investigators say the stop led to the recovery of a large haul of retail goods, as reported by ABC10.
Why police are targeting retail theft
State and local agencies have poured time and money into fighting organized retail theft in recent years, leaning on big grant programs to fund technology, data-sharing centers and specialized prosecution teams. California officials say a $267 million investment in Organized Retail Theft grants has helped law enforcement agencies log thousands of arrests and recoveries statewide…