Two men have been formally charged by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for a series of thefts totaling over $100,000 in merchandise from Home Depot stores. In a press release issued by the DA's office, Juan Manuel Diaz Ramirez, 23, and Juan Manuel Diaz Tejeda, 50, face felony charges for several theft-related crimes spanning from December 14, 2022, to March 21, 2023.
The felony counts against the men include embezzlement, commercial burglary, grand theft, and organized retail theft in concert. According to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, the two face several years in prison if convicted on all charges; Mr. Ramirez could face a maximum of 7 years, having completed extensive surveillance outside of Alameda County as part of their investigation, and Mr. Tejeda could see a maximum of 3 years and 8 months.
In response to the arrests, District Attorney Pamela Price expressed her satisfaction regarding the positive outcomes made possible by the newly formed Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit. "Our ORCA team worked diligently with the California Highway Patrol and the CHP Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force team, including Investigator Eduardo Garcia and Sergeant Manny Nevarez," DA Price said, per the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The dedicated unit was established with the help of a two-million-dollar state grant, which the county matched in November 2023.
The defendants are scheduled to make their first court appearance for arraignment on September 19 at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland, Department 112. The funding, which the county has matched, has allowed the ORCA unit to aggressively tackle the ongoing issue of organized retail crime, which has plagued businesses and struck a chord with concerns over local law enforcement efficacy.
