Two Southern California suspects were arrested after Irvine police said a group stole more than $10,000 in merchandise from multiple Lululemon stores. Investigators said some of the alleged haul later surfaced on OfferUp, turning an online resale attempt into a police lead. The case spans retail locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties and arrests in Carson.
OfferUp Listings Led Police To Suspected Resale Attempt
In its Thursday evening Facebook post, the Irvine Police Department said suspects allegedly grabbed merchandise at Lululemon locations and fled in a Tesla. Spectrum officers later found some of the stolen items listed on OfferUp and detained two people who allegedly tried to sell them in Irvine.
Police identified the arrestees as 19-year-old Kanoa Kaholi and 18-year-old Alina Liarone Delacruz, both Long Beach residents. The department said both were arrested on suspicion of grand theft, with the arrests taking place in Carson.
Police Suspect A Larger Multi-Store Theft
Irvine police said the group may be responsible for stealing more than $10,000 in merchandise from multiple Lululemon locations. Officers also recovered some of the suspected stolen property, although the department did not provide a complete inventory or say how much merchandise was recovered.
The case involves the same retail-security network used by Irvine's Spectrum enforcement team, whose officers work with center security and store loss-prevention staff to target organized retail theft, according to the Irvine Police Department. The department describes the unit as a full-time operation focused on retail theft and related crimes.
Grand Theft Arrests Do Not Mean Convictions
Under California Penal Code Section 487, theft of property worth more than $950 can qualify as grand theft, and related thefts may be aggregated when they are tied to one plan. Kaholi and Delacruz have been arrested, not convicted, and any criminal charges would be determined through the court process.
