Photo: Stock Image
Media stories detailing lax prosecutorial standards in cases of property crime may inspire roaming bands of shoplifters and retail thieves, but those with criminal intent may soon get the message that certain jurisdictions are no longer looking away or tolerating wanton theft from retailers.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Todd Welty, the activities of 25-year-old Eduardo Arellano, 23-year-old Aleandri Mejorada, and 47-year- old Gustavo Arellano, all residents of Anaheim, were brought to the attention of law enforcement on April 9, 2024. It was the middle of the afternoon at the Camarillo Ross Dress for Less store when deputies attached to the Ventura County Sheriff Camarillo Station responded to the store’s “theft in progress” call to 911 Emergency Dispatch which reported “three suspects removing security tags and concealing merchandise on their persons.”
As deputies rolled up to the scene, they spotted Eduardo Arellano and Mejorada exiting the store and promptly made contact with them. A cursory search of their persons led to the discovery of “several hundred dollars worth of stolen clothes, shoes, and accessories in their possession.” The immediately ensuing investigation indicated that the two men had been involved in the theft of approximately $3,000 in goods stolen from other Ventura County Ross store locations.
Both Eduardo Arellano and Mejorada were transported to Ventura County Jail where they were booked on multiple felony charges of organized retail theft.
But the work of the new Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force was not yet done, as they identified Gustavo Arellano—the father of the other two suspects in the case–as “the third outstanding suspect.” Gustavo was located at his Anaheim residence on May 2nd and was taken into custody. He now resides in Ventura County Jail, charged with grand theft and conspiracy, with his bail set at $150,000
