San Jose suspect arrested in golf ball theft spree from South Bay retail stores

A series of retail thefts in the South Bay involving boxes of golf balls resulted in the arrest of a suspect earlier this month, police said Friday.

In a press release, the San Jose Police Department said its retail theft unit was investigating retail thefts of large amounts of golf balls from multiple retail chain stores between March 25 and May 5. Some 28 separate thefts were reported from stores in San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, with losses totaling nearly $8,000, police said.

Investigators working with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's retail task force identified the suspect as 40-year-old San Jose resident William Yixin Pu. Police said investigatotrs also discovered that Pu was reselling the stolen merchandise online. 

After obtaining search and arrest warrants, police and sheriff's deputies located Pu on May 6 in San Jose. Police said during the search of his home, stolen golf balls and other evidence of the crime were found and seized.

Pu was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for felony grand theft.

Police asked anyone with information about the case to contact Investigator Moody #1617N with the department's Organized Retail Theft Detail at 408-277-4166.