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Police in Novato arrested three people, including a 33-year-old man from Mountain View, suspected of organized retail theft after allegedly finding them with merchandise taken from stores throughout the Bay Area, the department said Monday.
On Friday evening, a Novato officer responded to the report of a possible theft in progress at a Target store in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. Three people were seen fleeing the store, but were apprehended by police.
In addition to the Mountain View man, police also arrested a 34-year-old man and 46-year-old woman, both from Eureka.
A search of the suspects’ vehicle allegedly uncovered “significant” amounts of stolen property from stores in the North and East bays. “Thousands of dollars” worth of merchandise was returned to their respective retail stores.
Investigators believe that the trio had been stealing items to sell online.
Police also allege they found narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
All three were booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony organized retail theft with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Press Release from Novato Police:
Organized Retail Crime Leads to Multiple Arrests
On June 7, 2024, around 7:00PM, a Novato Police officer was following up on a prior case and was alerted to a potential theft in progress at a retail store in Vintage Oaks.
Several NPD officers saturated the area and located the three individuals fleeing the store, who matched descriptions provided by the reporting party. The suspects were safely detained and identified as:
– Stephen Edwards, 34, of Eureka
– Said El Jamali, 33, of Mountain View
– Amanda Edwards-Evers, 46, of Eureka
A search of their vehicle uncovered significant amounts of additional stolen property from various stores in Novato and the greater North/East Bay area. Thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise were recovered and returned to their respective retail stores. In addition to the stolen property, officers also located drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Preliminary investigation revealed that this group had been stealing items to sell online for profit. All three individuals have been booked into Marin County Jail on charges of felony Organized Retail Theft with intent to sell and *Edwards was booked with additional charges including possession of Fentanyl, and possession of drug paraphernalia. *Correction
We extend our gratitude to the Loss Prevention Team at Target for assisting with the investigation and all affected retail stores for their prompt responses. Collaboration in securing critical evidence is essential in the future prosecution of this case.