The burglary suspect was arrested after leading police in a high-speed chase in Ventura County.
Simi Valley Police have identified William Felipe Agudero Puertas, 33, of Los Angeles.
On February 26, a female victim loaded her car with groceries outside Costco, 2660 Park Center Way, Simi Valley, as the suspect stole a wallet from a shopping cart, got into the car and speeded.
Witnesses called the police to theft and provided an account of Puerta and his car, the grey Toyota Prius.
Officers found the Prius in the nearby Best Buy parking lot. Puertas entered the store and attempted a massive purchase using the victim’s credit card, but the transaction was denied, police said.
Puertas entered his car again, and the officers tried to pull him, but he refused to stop and led the police in a high-speed chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph.
He drove to the 118 highway, headed for Moore Park and Thousand Oaks, then turned around and headed back to Simi Valley. Pit operation on the 118 highway near First Street was successful, and finally stopped the Puertas vehicle.
He was arrested for avoiding a felony, grand larceny and identity theft. Police also found Puerta had a prominent felony warrant for a similar crime in San Bernardino County. He is being held on $325,000 bail.
“Theft of wallets from shopping carts has become increasingly common and is often carried out by organized groups targeting vulnerable victims,” police said. “In many cases, suspects deflect the victim while shopping or loading groceries into the car. The Simi Valley Police Department encourages citizens to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity.”
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