CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – Concord police say four young suspects were caught and taken to Juvenile Hall after what officers are calling a fast, coordinated response to a retail theft at a local shopping center. The name of the shopping center was not released.
According to the Concord Police Department, officers were dispatched after store staff reported four people running toward the exit with stolen merchandise. When officers got there, the suspects split up and tried to run in different directions. Police say officers chased them down and detained all four. All of the suspects are juveniles.
Police say the stolen merchandise — about $3,400 worth — was recovered. Detectives are now looking into whether the same group may be tied to other recent high-dollar thefts at the same store over the past two weeks.
All four juveniles were booked and then taken to Juvenile Hall. No injuries were reported.
Concord PD also publicly thanked Pleasant Hill Police for assisting in the arrests. The department said the outcome was the result of quick response and teamwork between the two agencies.
This incident comes as Concord police have been putting visible attention on organized retail theft at major shopping locations. Earlier in October, officers arrested multiple suspects following a separate large-scale theft incident at Sunvalley Shopping Center, and said they were running focused operations in response to ongoing high-value losses.
It’s very sad kids this age are engaging at this level of crime. It’s super important to catch them in order to attempt to deter the future behavior. But I truly hope the court brings the parents in to the conversation and counseling on parenting required of them. Also social services needs to intervene to review the home behaviors, the ability of the child to be safe, learn and a plan to prosper.