Suspect Arrested With Van Filled With Merchandise Stolen From Bay Area Home Depots

HERCULES (CBS SF) -- A suspect, allegedly responsible for stealing millions of dollars in merchandise over the last 4 years from Home Depot stores, has been arrested, according to Hercules police.

Police received information Thursday "of a suspect known throughout the state to steal items from Home Depot and then make returns on some of the items stolen to make back the money for the purchased item."

On Friday a vehicle associated with the suspect, a 2006 Ford Econoline Van, was located backed into a stall at 1500 Sycamore Ave., not far from the Hercules location of Home Depot.

Officers were waiting when the suspect returned to the van and detained him while it was searched. Inside was about $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise stolen Friday from Home Depot stores in Tracy, Fairfield, and Vallejo.

"Home Depot has been working cases for this suspect for over three years and believes he has stolen over $4.5 million from Home Depot," police said in a Facebook post. "Since September of last year, it is confirmed that the suspect had stolen over $500,000 from multiple different Home Depot stores up and down the West Coast."

Others in the van were also taken into custody.

"The occupants of the van were arrested and transported to jail," police said in their post. "Multi-State Organized Retail theft crew apprehended today after 4 years of stealing from The Home Depot."