OAKLAND – An investigation by a California Highway Patrol organized retail crime task force culminated Tuesday in the arrest of two Oakland residents and the recovery of more than $85,000 worth of pilfered merchandise, according to the agency.
Launched in July, the probe focused on several individuals suspected of selling goods at the Oakland Coliseum flea market that had been stolen from Victoria’s Secret, the CHP said in a news release Friday. Retail tags were reportedly still attached to the merchandise.
Detectives on Tuesday found the same people selling “significant quantities” of retail goods at a flea market in the Sacramento suburb of Galt, according to the CHP.
The CHP said Victoria’s Secret representatives scanned the merchandise and confirmed it had never been sold at a retail store. The goods were valued at more than $20,000.
Two suspects were detained during a subsequent car stop. Detectives obtained a search warrant and found additional stolen merchandise from Lululemon, Safeway, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, Ulta Beauty and Walgreen’s, according to the CHP.
Altogether, the pilfered retail goods were worth more than $85,000, the CHP said.
The suspects were identified as a 32-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, both of Oakland. The CHP said they were arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property.