Two arrested in Sonoma with nearly $10,000 in stolen goods

A pair was arrested in Sonoma with about ?$9,500 in merchandise believed to have been stolen from multiple Bay Area Safeway stores, ?authorities said.

Ashley Chiane Easy, 23, of Antioch, and Julio Cesar Cuellar, 41, of San Francisco, were booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and conspiracy, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Deputies were called around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to the Safeway on West Napa Street, where a woman, later identified as Easy, was seen five times filling shopping bags with goods and leaving the store, sheriff’s spokeswoman Misti Harris said. The woman left in a silver Toyota Sienna, which deputies pulled over as it was traveling eastbound on West Napa Street about five blocks from the grocery store.

A witness confirmed Easy was the same woman seen earlier stealing baby formula and multiple packages of over-the-counter medicines, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies found more than 400 items they believed were stolen from Safeway stores in Napa and Contra Costa counties in the minivan. Those items included 50 1-pound bags of mangoes priced at more than $20 each and high-end shampoos, Harris said.

Burglary tools used to tamper with packaging also were found in the van, Harris said.

Easy, who also was arrested on suspicion of providing police with a false name, had an outstanding warrant from Napa County for a separate theft-related case, deputies said. She was released on a $60,000 bail Wednesday, Harris said.

Cuellar, who deputies believe was the getaway driver in multiple heists, was released on $20,000 bail Monday, Harris said.

You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.