SAN FRANCISCO — Marcel Criner, 57, a repeat offender known for stealing from stores in San Francisco, is back behind bars and facing new theft charges, according to police.
Criner, who allegedly stole from the same store eight times since November 2024, was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department’s Defend Against Retail Theft (DART) Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Task Force. He is accused of snatching thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise while repeatedly ignoring stay-away orders.
Criner’s arrest took place last week at the San Francisco Hall of Justice, located at 850 Bryant St., where he was booked into jail. Before Proposition 36 was passed, Criner was regularly cited and released for his thefts. However, with the passage of Proposition 36 in December 2024, a new law went into effect that allows petty theft incidents to be charged as felonies for individuals with two or more prior theft convictions. Criner, who has numerous prior theft convictions, is now facing felony charges, including organized retail theft.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott stated, “Our officers will continue to use every tool available to them, including new statutes from Prop 36 passed by voters, to hold suspects accountable.” The District Attorney’s office has filed charges against Criner for his repeated offenses.
