Novato cops arrest two suspects in Classic Oaks Purchasing Heart theft spree

Novato police have arrested a lady they imagine helped herself to 1000’s of {dollars}’ value of merchandise – with out paying – on the Classic Oaks Purchasing Heart on Friday, in addition to the lady who owned the alleged getaway van.

Police first went to the buying middle at 11:17 a.m. to research a theft reported at a Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), mentioned police Lt. Sophia Winter.

Workers on the DSW informed police “{that a} girl carrying pink clothes entered the shop and stole over $900 in sneakers and merchandise” earlier than leaving in a white Honda minivan, Winter mentioned.

Whereas they have been trying into the DSW theft, the officers acquired one other report that the alleged pink-wearing pilferer had struck once more, this time making off with $3,000 value of “magnificence merchandise” from close by Ulta Magnificence, Winter mentioned.

By the point the officers reached Ulta, the suspect had moved on, however they noticed the minivan parked close to the Goal in the identical buying middle. They watched the van and, roughly half-hour later, a lady in pink – 56-year-old Tammi Jean Jones of San Francisco – confirmed up.

The officers detained Jones and discovered that safety guards in Goal had simply carried out the identical after Jones tried to go away the shop with a buying cart stuffed with $2,700 value of clothes, Winter mentioned. They noticed stolen objects from DSW and Ulta in plain view contained in the white van, together with $1,800 value of alcohol stolen from a Sonoma County retailer earlier that day, Winter mentioned.

“Jones initially supplied a false identify to the officers on the scene and was later recognized by jail information,” Winter mentioned.

The registered proprietor of the van, 32-year-old Melisa Ann Lynn Rodriguez, additionally of San Francisco, had been in DSW similtaneously Jones however was “not seen taking any objects,” Winter mentioned. Officers discovered her close to a Mattress Agency within the buying middle, and located that she had a number of excellent warrants for her arrest – in addition to “managed substances, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia” in her possession, Winter mentioned.

Jones was booked on suspicion of grand theft, business housebreaking, giving false ID to police and possession of stolen property, Winter mentioned. She was not listed as in custody Monday, in response to the Marin County Sheriff’s Workplace’s reserving log. She was not reachable for remark.

Rodriguez was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of possessing ammunition as a felon, drug and paraphernalia possession and her excellent warrants.