A drone, a Cadillac Escalade, and a food cart pod in Aloha all converged Friday in what deputies say was the tail end of a high-dollar theft spree stretching from Seattle-area stores to Washington County.
Washington County deputies arrested three people and say they recovered about $36,000 in merchandise believed stolen from Ulta locations in the Seattle region. Investigators tracked the suspects to a parking lot along Southwest Tualatin Valley Highway, where one of the three was ultimately detained inside a nearby food truck.
The case started the previous Saturday, when an Organized Retail Theft investigator for Ulta reported that the group had allegedly hit several stores in the Seattle area and was thought to be in Washington County, according to KPTV. Tigard police coordinated with Washington County deputies on the operation that led to the arrests and recovery of the merchandise.
County Task Force Leans on Grant-Funded Tools
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office has been using organized-retail-theft grant funding to beef up cross-jurisdiction investigations and strengthen partnerships with retailers, according to officials. The effort fits into a broader regional push targeting large-scale shoplifting crews and the networks that help move stolen goods.
Portland police have also conducted focused retail-theft missions aimed at fencing operations and return-for-refund schemes. For examples of those efforts, officials have pointed to a release from the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, a news update from the Portland Police Bureau, and recent coverage of a large-scale Jantzen Beach bust on Hayden Island.
How Deputies Located the Suspects
In Aloha, deputies deployed a drone and spotted a Cadillac Escalade parked in the 20000 block of Southwest Tualatin Valley Highway near a cluster of food carts. On the ground, investigators contacted two people near the SUV, identified as Nerielis Brinez-Brinez and Dayan Anarlo-Buckjones.
A third person, Albianys Melean-Gonzalez, was found inside a food truck and detained. Detectives searched the Escalade and reported finding fragrances and other merchandise they believe were tied to the Seattle-area thefts, according to KPTV.
Charges and What Comes Next
All three suspects were booked on first-degree theft charges. Deputies said Melean-Gonzalez was also arrested on an outstanding warrant connected to an unrelated 2025 theft case.
Prosecutors will now review the investigation and decide what charges to formally file. Under Oregon law, theft crimes are categorized by the value of the property involved under ORS chapter 164, which can push an offense into felony territory as outlined in the Oregon Revised Statutes.
