A San Rafael store had a rough Sunday morning, according to police: first an employee was threatened with a knife and robbed of merchandise around 8 a.m., then the same suspect allegedly strolled back in about four hours later and stole more goods. Officers eventually tracked him down at a nearby shopping center, where they say they also recovered a knife.
The first incident happened near the corner of Third and Union streets, according to San Rafael Police Sgt. Justin Graham, who said the man threatened a store employee with a knife and took merchandise. As reported by the Marin Independent Journal, Graham did not disclose the name of the business. The newspaper's account forms the basis of nearly everything publicly known about the case so far.
That alone would have been a notable Sunday for the shop. But Graham said the same suspect came back to the store at 12:20 p.m. and stole more goods, meaning the business was targeted twice in less than five hours. The report does not specify what was taken either time, nor its value.
Arrest at Montecito Plaza
Officers eventually located the man at the Montecito Plaza Shopping Center, where they arrested him and found a knife in his possession, per the same account. The Marin Independent Journal identified him as 21-year-old John Thomas Mainguy.
Mainguy was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of robbery, shoplifting and possessing a dagger, the report states. As of Monday, he remained in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to the newspaper's reporting.
What's Still Unknown
Several basic details about the case have not been made public. The name of the targeted business was not disclosed by police, and there is no confirmed description of what merchandise was taken in either theft. It's also not clear from available reporting what led officers to Montecito Plaza or how much time passed between the second theft and the arrest.
Marin County maintains an online booking log covering people arrested and booked into the county jail within the last 48 hours who remain in custody, according to the County of Marin, though the available evidence does not confirm Mainguy's booking details through that system. Court proceedings in Marin are tracked through the Marin Superior Court public portal, which the court says covers cases, hearings and other matters filed or scheduled after June 20, 2023. No charging or court-date information for Mainguy was available at the time of this report.
