California Attorney General Rob Bonta was in Santa Cruz County on Thursday to announce the arrest of 22 people who are facing a total of 32 felony charges stemming from multiple burglaries of marijuana dispensaries throughout the Bay Area.
Dubbed “Operation Sticky Fingers,” the arrests came thanks to the Oakland Police Department, DOJ, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, Bonta said.
During the operation, investigators identified crimes in Monterey, Solano, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Sonoma, San Diego and Santa Cruz counties.
The suspects stole 1,000 pounds of cannabis and products such as THC-infused gummies, all of which is valued at more than $1 million, Bonta said.
The suspects then sold the products via social media, he said.
Of the 22 arrested, just one is still in custody, and 14 have made their initial court appearances, Bonta said.
Charges include grand theft, organized retail crime and burglary.
The majority of the suspects are part of multiple criminal street gangs based in Oakland, said Oakland Deputy Police Chief Frederick Shavies.
Burglaries in that city spanned from the middle part of 2023 to July.
The message, Bonta said, is that anyone considering similar crimes can expect a law enforcement response.
“We will come for you,” he said. “We are fed up with organized retail crimes, and as a result we have been and will continue to crack down.”
The operation covers 15 burglaries, half of which were in Santa Cruz County, and most of which occurred late at night, he said.
This includes the May 25 burglary at The Hook dispensary in Watsonville, when a group of suspects smashed their vehicle into the business and stole hundreds of dollars in products before fleeing, leading police on a miles-long chase over Highway 17 and into Hayward.
“As California’s chief law enforcement officer, I’m here to make sure that California remains the best place to live, to work, to do business, to raise a family. And that includes going after organized retail crime,” Bonta said.
The incidents, he said, were far more serious than simple shoplifting.
“We’re talking about coordinated schemes, organized efforts that hurt our businesses and pose a threat to our communities, and those organized criminal schemes deserve and require an organized response on the part of law enforcement,” Bonta said.
