The suspected thieves were seen fleeing the scene by Vons employees, who caught the car type, a gray Nissan Xterra, and license plate. The employees called it in to the local authorities.
While deputies responded to the La Cañada store, Harley and sheriff’s Det. Brian Tibbett drove to the La Crescenta Vons on the 3200 block of Foothill Boulevard, a few miles away.
“Based on previous burglaries, we thought they might be [moving to] another Vons,” Tibbett said. “It was just a hunch that paid off.”
As the suspects pulled into the Crescenta Valley Vons on the 3200 block of Foothill Boulevard, the unit detained the suspects.
The suspects are Kenny Valdez, 25, of Reseda; Francisco Martinez, 28, of Reseda; Adolfo Ramirez, 43, of Van Nuys; and Flor Ramirez, 30, of Van Nuys. Each pleaded not guilty Monday at Pasadena Superior Court and are being held in lieu of bails ranging from $50,000 to $80,000.
In 2007, Karl Langhorst, director of Loss Prevention Randall’s/Tom Thumb, a Safeway Company, which owns Vons, told the House Judiciary Committee Crime Subcommittee that store thefts cost the company an estimated $100 million annually, with most of that coming from organized crime.
“Retailers have always had to deal with shoplifting as part of doing business,” said Langhorst. “But let me be clear, [Organized Retail Crime] is not shoplifting. It is theft committed by professionals, in large volume, for resale. It is being committed against retailers at an increasing rate.”
The suspects, from the Van Nuys and Reseda area, had 20 cans of baby formula valued at $500, plus several bottles of high-end hair care products and razor blades, police said.
Baby Formula is often stolen and sold on the black market because of its high retail price, small size and easy access. It’s also used sometimes to cut into drugs for filler before selling.
A few chain and local pharmacies, like CVS, keep baby formula in locked aisles.
The investigation by station detectives is ongoing.
