Help Catch Suspect in Outlet Mall Thefts

We found some shoppers like Joe Mendoza, of San Diego, getting a quick a fix of retail therapy at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon.

While shoppers like him are busy hitting the stores. Thieves are cashing in in the parking lot.

A rash of Cabazon outlet mall thefts prompt the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to release photo of a suspect wanted in questioning for the crimes.

“Anytime you have a large collection of cars, people leaving things unattended, you’re going to have problems like that. It’s not surprising,” Mendoza, a deputy in San Diego.

On Monday, October 8, 2012, between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., multiple vehicle burglaries occurred within the retail shopping district located along Seminole Drive in Cabazon. Large quantities of valuable items were stolen in these vehicle burglaries, which included various personal credit cards belonging to multiple victims.

Later that day, a credit card stolen in one of these burglaries was used at the Gap Factory Store located at Desert Hills Outlet Mall. The stores’ video surveillance camera captured the suspect as she purchased items with this card just moments after the vehicle burglary took place.

Some three hours later, this same suspect used a different stolen credit card taken from a separate burglary within the retail district, at the Target store in the City of Riverside. Once again the retailers’ video surveillance captured the female suspect as the cards were used at the check-out isle and upon her exit from the store.

The suspect in these crimes is described as a Hispanic woman, 20-30 years of age, 5’04” tall, weighing approximately 165 pounds, with long dark hair. Her clothing description at the time was a bluish/ grey blouse with dark colored pants. It appeared this female suspect wore jewelry around her neck area and right wrist.

This retail shopping district along Seminole Drive in Cabazon has experienced a significant amount of vehicle burglaries over the past 3-months, where some 50-plus vehicle burglaries have occurred. The property loss from these vehicle burglaries alone is in excess of $100,000 dollars.

“We’re getting into the holiday season, so it’s only going to get worse,” said Mendoza.

With more shoppers expected to crowd the outlets over the holidays, the number of burglaries is expected to rise. Some people just hope security will increase too.

“It’s probably a good idea for them to put people around and keep an eye on stuff,” said Mendoza.

He urges shoppers to take precautions.

“Thieves are going to come along looking in cars at whatever is handy, quick and easy. So make it hard for them,” said Mendoza.

Investigators with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department assigned to the Cabazon Station are seeking the public’s help in identifying this suspect. If you recognize this woman call police, the Sheriff’s Department, or Crimestoppers at (760) 341-STOP.