Thousands worth of sunglasses, other merchandise stolen in East Bay organized retail theft: sheriff

(KRON) — Thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise were recovered Wednesday in Oakland, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) announced. Deputies tried to initiate a traffic enforcement stop, but the suspect driver drove away at a high rate of speed.

To prioritize public safety, a car chase was not initiated, but air units were notified, authorities said. The vehicle was seen entering a dead-end street at 41st Avenue near E. 16th Street in Oakland.

Deputies arrived at the scene, but the suspect initially refused to comply with orders to exit the vehicle. The situation eventually de-escalated, and the suspect was arrested without further incident.

“Due to the suspect’s extensive criminal history of theft, we believe the merchandise is associated with organized retail crime,” ACSO wrote.

Images posted by ACSO show the items recovered by law enforcement in connection to the theft (below). Sunglasses, cell phone accessories and fragrances were among the items stolen, which deputies recovered from the suspect vehicle (also pictured below).

ACSO said the merchandise was stolen from neighboring cities throughout the East Bay. The suspect, who was not identified by ACSO, was booked into Santa Rita Jail for DUI, reckless driving and other charges.

The investigation is ongoing.