37 arrested, thousands in goods recovered after retail thefts
A crackdown on retail theft in San Bernardino County resulted in 37 arrests and almost $17,000 in stolen merchandise being recovered, officials said.
Between July 12 and 25, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and local, state and federal partners cracked down on reported thefts in Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville and Chino Hills, officials said in a news release.
Their efforts, part of Operation Smash and Grab, resulted in 15 felony arrests, 22 misdemeanor arrests and the recovery of stolen property worth $16,799.
Photos shared by the Sheriff’s Department show recovered property includes items as varied as power tools, hair-regrowth products, nicotine gum and high-end tequila.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided images of property that had been stolen from retail stores and recovered by authorities in July 2024. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided images of property that had been stolen from retail stores and recovered by authorities in July 2024. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided images of property that had been stolen from retail stores and recovered by authorities in July 2024.
The release did not detail from where these items were stolen, nor the identities of those arrested.
Operation Smash and Grab focuses on the recent rise in retail thefts, especially those involving “organized crews that conspire to commit robberies, burglaries, [shelf] sweeps, and vandalisms,” the release said.
Using “conventional and non-conventional investigative methods,” deputies “disrupt and dismantle these retail store theft crews,” the release said.
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