FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Two men were arrested after allegedly stealing over $6,000 worth of merchandise from a Lululemon store in Fresno, according to the Fresno Police Department (FPD).
The incident occurred just before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, when employees at the Lululemon store, located at 712 West Shaw Avenue, reported a theft in progress. Store employees told police that a man entered the store, filled a bag with clothes, and then ran to a waiting car outside.
As officers from the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) team responded to the scene, other officers began searching for the getaway vehicle. One ORT officer spotted the car driving in a nearby residential neighborhood and initiated a stop. The two men inside, later identified as 29-year-old Hector Garcia and 23-year-old Gavin Degroot, were arrested.
While officers were completing their report, they received a call from a resident who reported finding a bag full of stolen clothes on their lawn. Police confirmed that Degroot had stolen the items while Garcia waited in the car for the escape.
The total value of the stolen property was estimated to be over $6,000. Investigations revealed that both suspects were on probation—Garcia for domestic violence and Degroot for grand theft. Additionally, Degroot was wanted for a probation violation.
Both men were booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of:
Felony organized theft
Grand theft
Conspiracy to commit theft
The case highlights continued efforts by local authorities to tackle organized retail theft and hold offenders accountable.
