3 teens arrested in Petaluma for alleged Nike store thefts, police chase on Highway 101
Three East Bay teens were arrested over the weekend in connection with thefts from a Nike store in Petaluma, police said.
Police were alerted shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday of a grab-and-run theft from the Nike store at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, on Petaluma Boulevard North.
Employees told police a man allegedly ran from the store with armfuls of merchandise valued at over $950 and got into a silver Ford F-150, police said in a statement Monday.
An officer on southbound U.S. Highway 101 spotted the Ford headed south near the Lakeville/116 offramp, and the vehicle's license plate matched that of a theft from Nike a week ago.
The officer followed the Ford and also requested support from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's helicopter. As the Ford drove south on Highway 101 and into Novato, officers with the California Highway Patrol, Novato police and the Sonoma County Sheriff's helicopter prepared to pull over the suspects.
The Ford didn't yield to police red lights and sirens, however, and continued driving through Novato. The pursuit lasted about three miles until the Ford stopped just south of Ignacio Boulevard on Highway 101. The Ford did not drive faster than 65 mph during the chase, police said.
The three suspects were detained and evidence of the theft was allegedly found inside the vehicle, police said.
Jose Garcia Cruz, 18, of Richmond, was arrested for allegedly stealing from the Petaluma Nike store, and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of crimes that include organized retail theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The other two suspects, the driver and a passenger in the Ford, were a 17-year-old boy from San Pablo and a 16-year-old boy from Richmond, police said. They were arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention Facility on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, organized retail theft and shoplifting.
Officers also found evidence of alleged thefts from other Nike stores in the area, including Napa and Vacaville. The total amount of Nike merchandise recovered was worth an estimated $3,000, police said.