KTLA

Suspect found with thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise in Orange County

Deputies arrested a suspect who escaped with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Target store in Orange County.

Authorities responded to a theft in progress at a Target in San Clemente where a suspect was seen taking large amounts of merchandise on May 27.

The suspect was spotted by deputies and taken into custody at the scene. 

During the arrest, authorities discovered the suspect was driving a stolen car. Inside the vehicle, around $3,000 worth of stolen merchandise was found, along with drugs and burglary tools.

Photos from the arrest show a large amount of stolen Nintendo Switch controllers, video games and accessories. 

The suspect’s identity was not released as the case remains under investigation.

The theft follows a recent trend of similar burglaries focusing on retail stores including a massive LEGO toy theft bust in Long Beach, a couple targeting TJX stores, $1.5 million jewelry store heists and a trio arrested for targeting Home Depot stores.