WPBN: During a retail theft operation, police found almost $150,000 worth of stolen goods, leading to the arrest of a Southern California man. The Costa Mesa Police Department has identified the suspect as Wendell Rios, a resident of Costa Mesa, age 35.
Detectives carried out an undercover operation that led to the arrest. Rios had posted goods for sale on an internet marketplace when police officers reached out to him on Wednesday. Rios turned over the things, which the police concluded were stolen, when they met with him. At the scene, he was placed under arrest.
Rios’ car was examined by police during the arrest, and they found stolen goods valued at about $54,000. This includes a number of things that were reported lost from retail establishments.
Rios was further implicated in illicit activity when authorities found counterfeit headphones in addition to the stolen goods.
Detectives secured and carried out a search warrant for Rios’ home after the arrest. Luxury designer fragrances and other high-end stolen goods totaling over $10,000 were found during the search. Officers believe that the illegal sale of the stolen products may have been connected to the more than $23,000 in cash they discovered with the stolen goods.
Authorities discovered a neighboring storage facility connected to Rios as a result of the investigation. Even more stolen goods were discovered inside, thus raising the overall worth of the recovered goods to about $150,000.
Rios’s extensive collection of luxury goods was displayed in police-released photos. High-end fragrances from labels like Chanel, Versace, Dior, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian were among the pilfered items. Officers discovered multiple boxes of Apple AirPods Max and Dyson Airwraps, a high-end hair styling tool, in addition to the perfumes. The loot also included other things that weren’t on the list.
Rios is facing severe penalties as a result of his widespread theft and possession of fake products. To ascertain the entire scope of his actions and whether other people were involved in the operation, authorities are still looking into the matter.
This example demonstrates the rising prevalence of retail theft and the significance of taking preventative action against these crimes. The Costa Mesa Police Department underlined that it is dedicated to stopping retail theft and holding individuals responsible for these unlawful acts accountable.
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“We want to thank the Senior Manager of Organized Retail Crime at Macy’s for his assistance in this investigation and arrest,” Costa Mesa Police stated.
“This investigation and arrest is a great example of the Costa Mesa Police Department making effective use of grant funding received from the state to combat organized retail theft,” Costa Mesa Police Chief Ron Lawrence stated. “With the grant funds, we have been able to focus more resources on capturing organized retail theft suspects, and with the help of our Orange County District Attorney’s Office, we are able to hold criminals accountable. With Prop 36 going into effect today, repeat offenders of retail theft will now see real consequences for committing theft crimes.”
