Investigators say a group of criminals, some as young as 12, were arrested for reportedly robbing stores across San Francisco and taking $84,000 worth of goods.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) says that eight juvenile retail suspects have been arrested. The police think that these suspects are guilty for 23 incidents that happened at different Walgreens stores. One 18-year-old, one 12-year-old, three 14-year-olds, and three 15-year-olds were in the group.
It was possible for police to connect a string of thefts that have been happening in the Bay Area since July.
Brandon McClain, 18, was named as the oldest suspect by police. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and retail theft. Police say he was also nabbed this month on suspicion of stealing a car with a 15-year-old.
Fox 11 reports that the 12-year-old from San Francisco was charged with attack, robbery, burglary, grand theft, organized retail theft, and petty theft.
Two other teens, ages 14 and 15, were charged with different types of crime.
In one case, an employee of the store was violently attacked, leaving the victim with “a serious head injury,” according to the SFPD.
Teenagers are accused of robbing a store on September 29 and taking $15,000 worth of goods. Police say that a couple of hours later, the group came back for another raid and stole another $12,000 worth of goods.
The thieves went into another Walgreens on August 18 and stole more than $6,500 worth of goods. It was said by cops that one of the thieves jumped over the front counter and took a cash register.
In a separate disturbing event, police said that the masked suspects met outside of a Walgreens store in July. Employees saw them as thieves and called the police. The individual is said to have smashed the door open on the workers and stolen more than $1,300 worth of goods.
Law enforcement officials say they think these eight suspects have been involved in at least 23 thefts of over $84,000 worth of goods from different San Francisco Walgreens stores.
The SFPD Burglary-Organized Retail Crime Unit detectives were able to connect the two events after looking at the video of the first one.
The police found patterns in the suspects’ statements and how they worked.
Police said that the cases are still open and live even though people were arrested. If you know anything, please call the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with “SFPD.”
