In a recent crackdown on retail theft in Novato, police officers arrested two individuals following a chase from a reported theft at the Ulta Beauty store in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. According to a social media post from the Novato Police Department, a woman documented with her cell phone a man, later identified as Jason Ware, alleged to have stolen over $1,000 in goods.
Officers on extra patrol duty for the area spotted Ware and attempted to stop him as he entered a black Lexus in the shopping center parking lot. However, Ware fled the scene, propelling his vehicle onto Hwy 101 and engaging in what the authorities described as reckless driving. Amid the pursuit, Ware and a companion, Imereta Faalogoifo, were seen driving on the wrong side of the road before the damaged Lexus halted at the Manuel T. Freitas Parkway.
Upon halting the car due to heavy smoke indicative of potential fire, officers extracted both occupants and detained them. Alongside Ware, Faalogoifo was also booked for conspiracy at Marin County Jail, as the investigation revealed that both individuals had conspired in the commission of the theft.
In addition to grand theft and felony evading charges, Ware faces consequences stemming from California Penal Code section 666.1, targeting repeat theft offenders.
