Officers have jailed a man they say shoplifted from three Apple Valley stores in just over an hour this week.
The series of alleged thefts began around 2:25 p.m. Tuesday, when employees at Old Navy, 20346 Highway 18, reported that a man had just stolen merchandise, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials said.
“At 2:41 p.m., the department received a call from Ross reporting that an individual had left the store without paying for merchandise,” according to a sheriff’s statement. “The Ross employee’s description closely matched Old Navy’s description.”
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Following the theft at Ross, 20352 Highway 18, authorities received a third report from a neighboring Target store at 3:35 p.m.
“Employees reported that an individual matching the description of the two previous calls had left the store through an emergency exit after opening the store and consuming alcohol,” the statement said.
After causing a disturbance at two nearby fast-food restaurants, officers took 36-year-old Oscar Aguirre into custody, according to sheriff’s officials and county records.
He was arrested on suspicion of petit larceny with previous convictions for the same, public intoxication and disturbing the peace, according to San Bernardino County jail records. Bail was set at $30,000 pending court proceedings.
Prior to the implementation of Prop. 36, which was overwhelmingly passed by California voters in November, the alleged crimes would have resulted in a summons and release.
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“These new charges could carry harsher penalties and prevent offenders from being released before appearing in court,” the sheriff’s statement said.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Man accused of stealing from three Apple Valley stores in just over an hour