The California Highway Patrol’s Golden Gate Division has activated its Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCTF) to combat retail theft gangs in the Bay Area.
After a month-long investigation, the task force uncovered a stockpile of stolen products worth more than $450,000 in an Oakland residence, capping off their efforts to target organized criminal gangs involved in large-scale retail theft.
Through meticulous observation, the ORCTF uncovered a gang suspected of conducting a fencing business out of Oakland.
They conducted search warrants at an Oakland apartment last Thursday, assisted by the San Ramon Police Department, and discovered multiple stolen products from drugstores. The inquiry also led them to an Oakland storage facility, where more stolen goods were discovered, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Golden Gate Division.
Claudia Cruz, 35, of Oakland, has been arrested and faces significant allegations, including organized retail crime, possession of stolen items, and conspiracy. She is now being imprisoned in the Alameda County Jail while awaiting judicial processes.