Two men who pleaded guilty to robbery and grand theft charges for a series of organized retail theft crimes targeting several Sunglass Hut store locations were sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison, announced the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.
Ernesto Louis Cruz, 27, and Jordan Guzman Lopez, 27 stole hundreds of pairs of sunglasses from nine Sunglass Hut Store locations throughout San Diego County, resulting in a reported loss of $238,847. Some of these locations were targeted more than once, according to Deputy District Attorney Steven Nguyen.
The defendants also targeted other high-end stores, taking more than $4,000 in shoes from Nordstorm Rack, more than $7,000 in merchandise from Bloomingdale's, and over $6,000 in jackets from Burberry.
According to Deputy DA Nguyen, the men threatened employees during the “smash-and-grab-' robberies to gain complience. According to the prosecutor, the defendants were reselling the stolen merchandise online.
“This prosecution and prison sentence should serve as a warning that we’re holding organized retail theft crime rings accountable for the harm to retailers, their employees, and the community who are often traumatized by these crimes,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. “Unfortunately, this is another example of ‘smash and grab’ robberies that have been on the increase in the past five years. Organized criminal rings steal large amounts of goods from businesses of all types and sizes with the intent to resell them, particularly through unregulated online marketplaces.”