Eight suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing about $1 million worth of merchandise primarily from Apple stores, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Feb. 9.
The alleged retail theft operation occurred between August 2022 and January 2023—in several counties across the state, including Yolo, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside.
The suspects, according to the release, would allegedly barge into stores and detain employees and customers while they pilfered merchandise, “including numerous phones and tablets worth thousands of dollars from each location.”
“Organized retail theft costs businesses, retailers, and consumers – and puts the public at risk,”  Bonta said in a statement. “Brazen criminal activity … will not be tolerated in California. … With these charges, we’re moving forward to hold these defendants accountable.”…