A group of four, involving two adults and two juveniles, was arrested by deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) for a coordinated retail theft in Highlands Ranch, according to an announcement made through the department's social media channels. The theft occurred on Wednesday and involved stolen goods valued at several thousand dollars.
The initial response by DCSO was to a theft-in-progress call at a grocery store on South Quebec Street. The crew moved swiftly, detaining the driver, identified as 37-year-old Gabi Maria Lautaru, in the parking lot. Lautaru is accused of serving as a lookout while the other suspects were inside the store. Inside, three additional female suspects were located and detained by deputies who responded to the scene. The suspects reportedly had $9,600 worth of stolen merchandise from the Highlands Ranch store, and the deputies also retrieved about $5,000 in additional goods from their vehicle, believed to be from an earlier incident in Centennial, the Sheriff's office stated.
According to DCSO, Sheriff Darren Weekly praised the collaboration between law enforcement and local retailers, saying, "Thanks to the vigilance of our local retailers and their willingness to report suspicious activity, we were able to identify and arrest this group responsible for stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise." He emphasized the importance of the business community's involvement in such matters and reassured that the region is responsive to these partnership efforts.
The arrest of the two adults led to their booking into the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Jail, while the two juveniles were transported to the Foote Youth Services Center, facing charges of theft and conspiracy. Lautaru faces an additional charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Although their addresses are currently unknown, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office also came to the scene to collect evidence for the prior theft, as per the DCSO post.
