SAN JOSE – An organized retail theft ring that targeted Home Depot stores across the Bay Area and beyond is no more, authorities said.
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On Wednesday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office announced four suspects were in custody following a months-long investigation. The suspects were identified as 21-year-old Daniel Resendiz, 28-year-old Jose Martinez, 43-year-old Wilmer Ayala, all of South San Francisco, and 45-year-old Richmond resident Adolfo Herrera.
They are facing felony charges, including grand theft, retail theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
The suspects stole more than $92,000 in power tools and other items from nearly 200 Home Depot stores and resold the merchandise at flea markets in Oakland and San Jose, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Brooks Jarosz. The stores targeted by the suspects were as far north as Sacramento and as far south as Santa Cruz.
The sheriff’s office launched an investigation in February following a tip from Home Depot’s organized retail crime investigators, Jarosz said, adding that with their help, detectives “identified patterns in the suspects’ movements and theft tactics.”
Jarosz said “coordinated raids” took place Tuesday in Richmond, San Leandro and South San Francisco. In addition to arresting the suspects, authorities seized drugs and found nearly 1,000 items taken from stores in a South San Francisco storage unit.
The operation drew praise from Scott Glenn, Home Depot’s vice president of asset protection.
“We applaud the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office for collaborating with Home Depot’s investigative team to arrest this group of individuals,” Glenn said. “This continued coordination will help stop organized retail crime and dangerous criminals from stealing from our stores.”
The sheriff’s office led the operation and received assistance from the county district attorney’s office, the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.
“Retail theft doesn’t just affect businesses — it impacts our entire community,” Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen said in a statement. “We remain laser-focused on dismantling organized retail theft crews and holding offenders accountable.”
Check back for updates.
