Woman caught with goods worth almost $500,000 from drugstores: Police

A California woman was arrested after she was found to be in possession of stolen goods worth over $450,000.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced in a Facebook post that 35-year-old Claudia Cruz has been charged with organized retail crime, possession of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit a crime for her alleged involvement in a fence operation.

Last month, the CHP's Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCTF) began investigating a criminal network involved in a series of thefts targeting various Bay Area retailers.

By conducting surveillance, investigators were able to identify suspects allegedly involved in an illegal fencing operation in Oakland in which criminals buy and sell stolen goods.

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A California woman was arrested after an investigation found she was in possession of over $450,000 worth of allegedly stolen goods in her home, cars and storage unit. (California Highway Patrol)

Using the information gathered, investigators obtained search warrants for a residence and several vehicles. The search warrants were executed on August 15 with the assistance of the San Ramon Police Department.

During the search, investigators discovered a large quantity of stolen goods, which were confiscated and taken to a facility for documentation.

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The stolen goods were worth about $450,000 and mostly came from drugstores, police said. (California Highway Patrol)

During the search, investigators also learned that Cruz had rented a warehouse in Oakland. After obtaining another search warrant for the warehouse, investigators discovered additional stolen goods.

The estimated value of the stolen goods was more than $450,000 and consisted primarily of goods sold in drugstores.

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Eventually, Cruz was arrested and taken to the Alameda County Jail.