Murrieta Cops Aid Local Retailers Amid Black Friday Shoplifting Spree

MURRIETA, CA — Murrieta police responded to numerous shoplifting calls on Black Friday, according to a social media release by city officials. Officers drove extra patrols and worked with loss prevention officers at area stores to halt shoplifting as it happened.

During the extra patrols, one person was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant, two more were taken into custody on suspicion of shoplifting, and two others were encouraged to leave a store without the merchandise they were caught attempting to conceal. The names of the suspected shoplifters were not disclosed.

The city intended to keep a strong police presence to deter "five finger discounts" during the busy shopping day.

At 7 a.m., officers noticed a familiar suspect near Murrieta Hot Springs and Margarita Road. "Officers knew him from prior contacts and learned the man had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest and took him into custody.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday, police officers patrolling near Madison Avenue and Los Alamos Road responded to a shoplifting call in progress.

"Officers were flagged down by an employee who pointed out a man with a shopping cart full of stolen items," a spokesperson for the Murrieta Police Department shared over social media. Officers learned the same man was also suspected of shoplifting a Temecula store.

The suspect fled on foot, but officers caught up with him and made an arrest. He was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center.

Loss prevention officers contacted officers at 12:30 p.m. regarding a man and woman who were seen gathering items from a Clinton Keith and I-215 store. They were "trespassed from the store," and the merchandise was left behind.

At 1 p.m., officers patrolling near Murrieta Hot Springs and Madison Avenue answered another shoplifting call. There, a woman was seen leaving a store with a shopping cart of over $1,000 stolen items.

"She said she paid for the merchandise but couldn't find the receipt," a spokesperson for the department wrote. "Loss prevention officers officers were watching her the whole time. She attempted to flee on foot and was taken into custody when Murrieta Police learned she was out on bail for other theft-related charges." She was also taken into custody.