Retail task force nets 8 Lululemon arrests in San Mateo

Officers stopped the suspects as they exited the store, and all five suspects were safely detained. Three suspects had felony warrants for their arrest for prior organized retail thefts. All five suspects were arrested and booked into the San Mateo County Jail, according to police.

Several hours later, at 8:05 p.m., the task force was alerted again to another theft in progress at the Hillsdale Lululemon. Officers were told three people had entered the store carrying Lululemon bags that appeared to be filled with merchandise, however, they were now inside the store concealing additional items. The three were safely detained once they exited the store with the unpaid merchandise. Officers also found and recovered additional stolen merchandise from different Lululemon locations throughout the Bay Area. These items were in the bags brought into the store by the subjects. All three were booked into the San Mateo County Jail, according to police. 

The task force is funded by a grant, and works closely with retailers. It is focused on organized retail theft occurring around shopping centers located in each of the three cities, according to police.

San Mateo has invested in a Real Time Information Center, where officers now have the ability to access security cameras, deploy assets and gather information to fight crime. This center is currently in a beta stage but was activated as part of this deployment in San Mateo. The task force also has provided training to other law enforcement agencies in the county, according to police.

Organized retail theft arrests have increased countywide from 36 in 2022-23 to 113 in 2023-24, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.