Petaluma police arrest ‘theft crew,’ recover $10,000 in Dick’s Sporting Goods items

Three members of what police described as an “organized theft crew,” believed responsible for a spree of merchandise heists totaling more than $10,000 at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and near Sacramento, were arrested in Petaluma, police said.

They are Jose Bello-Salinas, 24, of Vallejo; Vanessa Burton, 34, of Fairfield and Bryant Jacobs, 39, from Vallejo, Petaluma Police Lt. Tim Lyons said in a news release issued over the weekend.

They were arrested on suspicion of a number of offenses, including grand theft, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools, he added.

Booked into the Sonoma County jail, according to jail records, each person’s bail was set at $100,000.

They are expected to appear in Sonoma County Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Petaluma police officers responded shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday to a report of a burglary at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Petaluma.

A store employee said two men and a woman entered the store, grabbed about $1,500 worth of football jerseys then fled in a silver Ford Expedition, police said.

About an hour later, at 11:41 a.m., police were notified the Dick’s in Santa Rosa was also burglarized by similar-looking suspects, who fled in a vehicle similar to the silver Expedition.

Petaluma police monitored southbound ramps along Highway 101 and soon observed the suspects’ vehicle.

Authorities stopped it after it took the East Washington Street exit.

A search of the SUV turned up more than $10,000 in merchandise from Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Roseville Dick’s stores, as well as a gas-siphoning device, a reciprocating saw and wire cutters, Lyons said.

Each of the suspects has numerous prior arrests in connection with theft-related offenses, police said.

“This is the third similar crime that has occurred in the past few months and Petaluma PD has caught all of the suspects as they drove southbound on U.S. 101 through Petaluma,” Lyons said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5209.