Police in El Cerrito broke up multiple retail thefts in progress Thursday at Marshalls and CVS stores in a targeted operation, the department.

In a press release on Friday, the El Cerrito Police Department said officers worked with store managers and loss prevention agents to develop an enforcement plan at the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center. On Thursday, the operation resulted in the prevention of four thefts in progress and the arrest of five suspects, the Police Department said.

One of the suspects arrested was a wanted parolee with multiple prior theft convictions, police said. A second suspect provided a false name, had an outstanding warrant for grand theft, and was in possession of fentanyl, police said. 

The suspects were not identified.

The operation recovered $1,500 in stolen merchandise which was returned to the businesses. The Police Department said it would continue to conduct focused operations like this in the future, especially as the holiday season approaches.