SF DA files 128 charges against woman who allegedly stole more than $40K worth of items from Target
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Amid an ongoing saga of retail thefts in San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Wednesday his office has filed 128 charges against a woman accused of stealing more than $40,000 worth of items from Target.
"It is highly unusual to see a case with this many charges and this many instances. We hope and expect in most cases when someone is committing repeated acts of crime, whether they be property crime or otherwise, that they will be arrested before it gets to this point," said Boudin.
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The incidents took place between October 2020 and this November at the Stonestown Target.
Charges include eight felony counts of grand theft and 120 misdemeanor counts of petty theft.
"This was an operation that's been in the works for more than a few weeks. It's been on my radar for more than a few weeks," Boudin said.
But this is just one high-profile case.
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And city business owners, like Martha Asten of Cliff's Variety in the Castro District, say theft is something they deal with on a daily basis.
"Yesterday we stopped one person. We caught him on camera. 'I was like, hey watch this guy.' We watched him go through the store. He stuck it under his coat," Asten said. She went on to say the alleged thief's response was, "well it's just human nature."
Asten says while she and her team have grown accustomed to dealing with crime in their store, it still remains taxing and sometimes even dangerous.
She, like many other businesses throughout the city, believes that law enforcement should be prosecuting some offenders more often.
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"Some of these people are chronic offenders. The police know who they are. The burglaries are one thing. The theft inside the store is another thing. When they're going into Walgreens and just brazen filling bags, yes, they should be prosecuted," Asten said.
Boudin says his office is working to bring more repeat offenders to justice and offers this message to concerned businesses.
"We have your back, and if you're in fear, our work is not done. Whatever we can do, we will do. We want you to reach out. Step up to help us help you," Boudin said.
