A Southern California man was arrested after police discovered $150,000 worth of stolen merchandise during a retail theft bust.
The suspect was identified as Wendell Rios, 35, of Costa Mesa, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.
Detectives working an undercover operation contacted Rios on Wednesday to purchase items he listed through an online marketplace. Rios handed officers the items which were allegedly stolen, police said.
Rios was arrested at the scene. Inside his car, officers found around $54,000 worth of stolen merchandise from retail stores. Police also found counterfeit headphones.
A search warrant at Rios’ home led to the discovery of over $10,000 worth of stolen high-end products and designer fragrances, police said. Over $23,000 in cash was also located.
There were reportedly even more stolen items found in a storage unit nearby. In total, police found around $150,000 worth of stolen goods.
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A collection of designer fragrances and high-end merchandise was found during a retail theft bust in Costa Mesa on Dec. 17, 2024. (Costa Mesa Police Department) -
A collection of designer fragrances and high-end merchandise was found during a retail theft bust in Costa Mesa on Dec. 17, 2024. (Costa Mesa Police Department) -
Wendell Rios, 35, was arrested during an undercover retail theft bust in Costa Mesa on Dec. 17, 2024. (Costa Mesa Police Department)
Photos of the bust showed the suspect had a collection of luxury fragrances from Chanel, Versace, Dior, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and more. There were also boxes of stolen Dyson Airwraps, a high-end hair-styling tool, Apple AirPods Max, and more unlisted merchandise.
“We want to thank the Senior Manager of Organized Retail Crime at Macy’s for his assistance in this investigation and arrest,” Costa Mesa Police said.
“This investigation and arrest is a great example of the Costa Mesa Police Department making effective use of grant funding received from the state to combat organized retail theft,” said Costa Mesa Police Chief Ron Lawrence. “With the grant funds, we have been able to focus more resources on capturing organized retail theft suspects, and with the help of our Orange County District Attorney’s Office, we are able to hold criminals accountable. With Prop 36 going into effect today, repeat offenders of retail theft will now see real consequences for committing theft crimes.”
