Prolific Retail Thief Caught In SMC Following Spree: Police

SAN MATEO, CA — A San Mateo man was caught Wednesday stealing over $1,200 worth of merchandise from a local store and is linked to thousands more in losses from previous incidents, police said.

San Mateo Police Department officers said they responded to a report of a theft in progress at the 17 Hillsdale Mall location at around 1:54 p.m. on Wednesday. An officer said he located and detained Jamir Ortiz, 21,, who matched the description of the suspect walking away from the store.

Officers said they found multiple concealed Lululemon items totaling $1,287 on Ortiz and they also suspect Ortiz is responsible for several prior thefts from Lululemon, with the total reported loss from those incidents exceeding $3,500.

Ortiz was taken into custody and transported to the San Mateo County Jail, where he was booked on a charge of grand theft, police said.