SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Four men have been charged for a coordinated theft ring that targeted dozens of Home Depot locations across the Bay Area.
A coordinated law enforcement operation spanning 11 California counties led to the arrests of four men who had stolen thousands of dollars worth of items from the retail giant, Santa Clara district attorney Jeff Rosen said.
The arrests highlight a new law passed specifically to combat organized retail theft: AB 1779 enables a single district attorney’s office to take the lead on prosecuting thefts that occurred across several counties.
The group had traveled from Sacramento to San Jose to Santa Cruz between January and April 2025, allegedly stealing $65,000 worth of merchandise from dozens of Home Depot stores. The men stole on nearly 200 separate occasions, frequently returning to the same Home Depot locations.
Emeryville’s store was hit 24 times, while Home Depot’s locations in Santa Clara county were targeted over 15 times. The burglary crew would then resell the stolen hardware goods at flea markets.
Officers recovered a significant amount of stolen goods, including power tools, pliers, saws, and blades, in a storage facility in South San Francisco and in homes in Richmond and San Leandro, according to the Santa Clara District attorney’s office.
The DA’s office worked with local detectives, Home Depot investigators, and a regional theft task force to track down the whereabouts of the burglary ring members.
“Criminals relied on the fact that, by traveling from county to county, they could escape arrest and accountability for their thefts,” Rosen said in a statement. “That trick won’t work anymore. Law enforcement has its own crew. If you steal from Santa Cruz and San Jose and Sacramento, you will spend time in prison in California.”
The men aged 21 to 45 were charged with nearly 70 counts of theft, grand theft, and vandalism, among other charges, and now face potential prison time.
Additional reporting from KCBS’ Bejan Siavoshy in San Francisco and KCBS’ Matt Bigler in Emeryville.
