A store’s proactive loss-prevention effort helped Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies track down a suspect in a string of soft-serve machine thefts reported at the Valencia mall.
A 41-year-old Valencia man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of grand theft over $400 after he was seen taking ice cream machines from JCPenney over the span of four months, according to an official with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“The loss-prevention specialist informed the deputy that this suspect has stolen the same item numerous times on numerous different occasions, and because of this criminal trend, they placed GPS location trackers inside the ‘Ninja Swirl’ products on display for sale at the business,” according to a warrant sought by SCV Sheriff’s Station officials.
Detectives sought to search a home northeast of McBean Parkway and Orchard Village Road, where the tracker indicated the machines were, within a 2-foot radius, according to an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department affidavit.
Sgt. Juan Muralles said that, through detectives’ extensive investigation and follow-up, they were able to find and arrest the suspect on suspicion of grand theft and recovered the stolen property. Detectives obtained similar reports that indicated the same suspect and theft, totaling more than $1,400 in losses to JCPenney at the Valencia Town Center, where the machines were stolen.
A witness also later helped detectives confirm their suspect’s identity, according to court records. Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the station, wrote in an email that the suspect had outstanding warrants as well.
The suspect was due in court Thursday to answer for his preliminary arraignment, but his plea was not immediately available as of this story’s publication. LASD records Thursday afternoon indicated he was still in custody.
