LA man arrested in connection with robberies at Palm Desert Gucci store
A Los Angeles man was arrested after allegedly robbing the same Palm Desert Gucci store twice in the span of a little less than two weeks.
The first robbery happened on Saturday, Oct. 7. Two suspects entered at the retail store in the 73000 block of El Paseo in Palm Desert. The suspects stole several high-value merchandise items and ran out of the store within seconds, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday.
Wednesday evening, the same suspects entered the same store and stole a significant amount of merchandise prior to fleeing the area.
The Palm Desert Investigations Bureau, with the assistance of the Palm Desert Station-Business District Team, assumed the investigation.
Authorities said that during the course of the investigation, one of the suspects, a 25-year-old Los Angeles resident, was identified as also being a suspect in several similar robberies in Los Angeles.
Palm Desert Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Office-Organized Retail Crime Task Force used investigative leads. The 25-year-old was arrested on Saturday, Oct. 22 after search warrants were served in the 800 block of W. 104th Street, Los Angeles.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office added that evidence implicating the 25-year-old in the thefts on El Paseo was recovered. He has been booked into a Los Angeles County jail.
The identity of the second suspect remains unknown at this time; however, the investigation is currently ongoing, authorities said.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Investigator Pfohlman at 760–836–1600.
The identity of these suspects and organizations is a result of working with many allied agencies across California who are also combating the rise in organized retail crime. These investigations have resulted in numerous arrests by the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station.
"The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station would like to remind the public to not interfere or attempt to apprehend suspects involved in organized retail crime. Instead, be a good witness, obtain license plates, directions of travel, or any other identifying suspect information to aid investigators."
- Riverside County Sheriff's Office
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has a zero-tolerance policy for these offenses.
If you suspect illegal activity in your area, you are asked to contact the Coachella Valley Dispatch Center at 760–836–3215 or dial 911 in the event of an emergency.
