An alleged serial thief who armed herself with pepper spray was arrested in an operation by the San Rafael Police Department.
Amirah Lykeal Dennard, 19, of Suisun City was intercepted at the Northgate mall on Wednesday after a Kohl’s employee blocked her from running through an exit.
A police team assigned to the mall rushed in for the arrest. The store employee and a police detective suffered blasts of pepper spray during the confrontation.
Security video captures theft suspect at Kohl's in Terra Linda. Read the story: https://t.co/MJRMu50A6a pic.twitter.com/N5J7psNugP
— Marin IJ (@marinij) October 24, 2019
The alleged crime spree began in April. Police said a woman repeatedly entered stores at the mall and absconded with armfuls of merchandise.
“Officers began to work on trying to identify the female suspect through given vehicle descriptions, license plates and surveillance video,” said San Rafael police Sgt. Justin Graham. “Officers were able to determine that the female suspect was Dennard.”
Investigators were unable to find her at the addresses they had on record. Meanwhile, she allegedly committed three more thefts at the mall last week.
On Wednesday morning, Dennard was seen parking in the red zone outside Kohl’s. San Rafael police assigned to the case approached her as she started pulling clothing off the racks, Graham said.
When Dennard saw the detectives, she dropped the goods and ran through the store. By then, the store employee was standing in the exit and blocked her.
A brief struggle ensued, and police officers arrived in time to detain Dennard. Police found “large quantities of stolen clothing” in the car she had been driving, Graham said.
Dennard was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of robbery, burglary, using tear gas, driving with a suspended license and violating her probation conditions. She was also booked on outstanding warrants.
Dennard remained in jail Thursday while the district attorney’s office reviewed the case. Dennard had two other criminal cases filed against her this year in Marin.
Police estimate that Dennard stole $18,000 worth of merchandise in a dozen crimes. Investigators are reviewing potential links to other crimes in the Bay Area.