– By F. Scott Faulkner
THOUSAND OAKS, CA — February 4, 2026
A shoplifting attempt at a Thousand Oaks grocery store turned violent when a suspect
allegedly shoved an employee and fled with stolen alcohol, prompting a multi unit investigation
that ended with an arrest the following day.
A 27-year-old Oxnard resident, Marc Mendoza entered a Ralphs supermarket and went directly to the liquor aisle and began loading several bottles of tequila into a cardboard box. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Sean Taylor, “a sales associate noticed the activity and confronted him as he tried to leave without paying.”
The encounter escalated quickly. Mendoza allegedly lowered his shoulder and forced his way
past the employee, then ran from the store with the unpaid merchandise. No injuries were
reported, but “the use of force elevated the case beyond a routine theft.”
Thousand Oaks Patrol deputies arrived shortly after and conducted an initial investigation which
promptly led to the identification of Mendoza as the suspect. The case was then forwarded to
detectives with the East County Major Crimes Unit, who took over the investigation.
On February 3, detectives working with the East County Special Enforcement Unit located
Mendoza in Thousand Oaks and took him into custody without incident.
Investigators later recovered three bottles of tequila believed to have been taken during the robbery. Mendoza was transported to the Ventura County Pre Trial Detention Facility where he was booked on charges of robbery, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At the time of this publication, he remains in custody on a no-bail hold pursuant to an outstanding felony warrant.
