In a crackdown against organized retail theft, the San Ramon Police have cuffed two women for swiping a staggering haul of high-end makeup wares. Over $13,000 worth of cosmetics were lifted from a Sephora store in the plush City Center at Bishop Ranch, the department revealed in a statement. Tips and diligent sleuthing led law enforcement to trace the products back to a fencing operation hustling stolen goods in Oakland.
The cosmetics caper unraveled further when a coordinated sting on Wednesday saw the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office, in concert with bulldogs from the San Ramon Police Department and the CHP Organized Retail Crime Task Force, hitting three locations with search warrants. Found during the raid, stolen merch valued at roughly $326,693 from varied outlets, including Walgreens and Walmart, were stuffed in every corner of the operation's lairs, alongside $12,196 in cold hard cash, suspected proceeds from the illicit enterprise.
One of the ring's suspects is now cooling their heels in an Alameda County cellblock, slapped with charges ranging from grand theft to conspiracy. The police proudly boasted their coup in a Facebook post, saying, "More incredible work from your San Ramon Officers!"
Not overstating their efficacy in the face of surging retail raids, the San Ramon Police Department used the exposure to highlight the often-unseen battles they fight against organized retail crime, not merely a line of officers keeping streets safe, but crimefighters deeply entrenched in the trenches a scenic East Bay community’s way of life to guard.
