(KRON) — Two people were arrested Thursday night in connection to a series of retail thefts at multiple Walgreens locations throughout Sonoma County, the Cotati Police Department said in a Facebook post. Around 8:30 p.m., police received a call from an employee at a Cotati Walgreens that a male suspect entered the store and left with a “large amount of merchandise” without paying.
Officers arrived at the Walgreens and learned the suspect entered a white SUV and drove onto southbound Highway 101. Police were able to catch the SUV and conduct a traffic stop.
A large number of the stolen merchandise was found in the trunk of the SUV, police said. An investigation later revealed that the driver and passenger of the SUV stole thousands of merchandise from a number of Walgreens throughout the county.
The value of the recovered merchandise exceeds $3,000, which makes this a grand theft, per California law. Police said the suspects may have possibly hit two other Walgreens stores in Santa Rosa.
The driver was arrested for conspiracy, possession of stolen property and an outstanding warrant. The passenger was arrested for conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, possession of stolen property and burglary.
The suspects were identified as Antioch residents Daniel Cortez, 34, and Elayja McCoy, 30. Cotati police did not specify who was the driver and who was the passenger.
Both were booked into Sonoma County Jail. As of Friday evening, Cortez has been released from jail, and McCoy remains in custody.
