California detectives arrested four suspects Saturday after a $3,000 “grab-and-run” theft at a Nike store in Carlsbad, about 90 miles south of Los Angeles.
Video shared by the Irvine Police Department on Facebook shows four suspects, some of whom were wearing Nike clothing, grabbing merchandise from apparel racks and walking out of the store without paying. The three female suspects stole apparel including sports bras and zip-up hoodies. The male suspect was seen carrying what appeared to be black shoe boxes. Police arrested Kristen Jamie Himbarger, 19, China Celeste Morris, 24, and an unidentified 14-year-old female on theft and organized retail crime charges. Nineteen-year-old Anaiya Syrai Cole was arrested on a grand theft warrant.
Police said three of the four suspects were linked to similar shoplifting incidents at Nike stores in Irvine and San Clemente where losses totaled $11,000.
“Organized retail theft will not be tolerated in Irvine,” police said, using the hashtag “#dontcommitcrimeinirvine”.
Irvine received more than $5 million from the state as part of a $267 million anti-crime campaign combating thieves who target California retailers. The arrests suggest the new funding is helping to turn the tide against a shoplifting epidemic that saw a flash-mob commit a $300,000 Nordstrom smash-and-grab robbery this summer. A new Los Angeles retail crime task force quickly nabbed 11 retail crime suspects just a week after it was assembled following the incident at the upscale department store.
News of the arrests in the Nike thefts comes as 12 Southern California cities sued to block an Oct. 1 zero-bail policy, according to KTLA.com, citing a lawsuit filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The policy allows people accused of criminal offenses to be released without bail if they’re charged with misdemeanors or non-violent felonies. Critics claim the new policy will encourage repeat offenders to continue committing crimes.
“Law enforcement is averse to the list of ‘book and release’ offenses because that approach offers little to no deterrence to those involved in a range of serious criminal offenses,” Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chief Michel Moore wrote in a Sept. 26 statement on X, the social platform previously known as Twitter. “We are asking the court to not release individuals who pose risks to the community’s safety, including those with repeated instances of prior serious offenses.”
Also writing on X, Yolo County district attorney Jeff Reisig out of Northern California pointed to the “frightening” results of his office’s 2023 zero-bail study, including a 163 percent increase in crime and more than 200 percent increase in violent crime committed by offenders arrested and released without posting bail.
These policies could instigate further retail crime after the industry suffered a $112 billion hit last year, according to new National Retail Federation data. Target last week said it’s closing nine stores nationwide after trying several tactics to address theft. This is after the mass merchant said it expected a $500 million increase in crime-fueled shrink this year.
Nike remains among the most popular targets for criminals nationwide who’ve frequently exploited weaknesses in the company’s supply chain. But law enforcement has scored some victories as well. LAPD recovered $7 million worth of Nike sneakers in a warehouse raid after they were tipped off about stolen cargo containers this summer.