Thousands of dollars stolen from Indio thrift shops, one man arrested

When Tadd Loucks arrived to work last Monday he discovered his office was broken into. Indio police said sometime last weekend more than $4,000 was stolen from the safe at Martha’s Village Thrift Store in Indio. The suspects went to unusual lengths to get into the safe. They broke into the Riverside County Mental Health office next door, then cut through the wall into the thrift shop.

Two surveillance cameras and the DVR that stores the footage were also taken.

“It was a shock. It was hurtful. Who would do something like that?” said thrift store volunteer Guadalupe Delgado.

“It’s makes me very sad to hear such a thing. We need the money for the poor. We need to support Martha’s Village,” said volunteer Betty Gorey.

Profit from the thrift store goes directly to Martha’s Village and Kitchen, which provides food, clothing, shelter and jobs to families in need.

Loucks said Theives also got away with two surveillance cameras.

“As well as the DVR so it had no recording of any activity that weekend.”

A couple of days later, a thief broke into the southwest church thrift store in indio and stole more $2,700 dollars in property and cash. Investigators say surveillance video showed this man, 39-year-old Lorenzo Valenzuela, in the store after midnight.

Officers later arrested Valenzuela without incident. None of the stolen property was recovered.

Meanwhile police are still investigating what happened at Martha’s Village Thrift Store and the county building. Police would not comment on whether the burglaries were related.