Man Accused of Stealing Over $500,000 in Merchandise in California Arrested

Orange County Central Mens Jail in Santa Ana, Calif., on Oct. 22, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

A suspected serial burglar who allegedly stole items across California worth more than $500,000 was arrested by Brea police July 27.

Detectives located 28-year-old Devon Taylor at a residence in Ontario and arrested him for one of the multiple thefts he has allegedly committed, according to the Brea Police Department.

In Brea alone, Taylor has allegedly stolen thousands of dollars worth of items, including most recently over $70,000 in fragrances, authorities say.

Although he has only been charged by Brea police with one theft, prosecution will be seeking to charge him for more, Brea police Lt. Chris Harvey told The Epoch Times.

Several other unnamed agencies are also investigating Taylor, according to Harvey.

These agencies will be seeking to add charges to the case filed against Taylor through the Superior Court of Orange County or filing new cases, Harvey said.

According to arrest records, Taylor has been arrested 19 times in his life. As a San Francisco resident, most of Taylor’s arrests were made there.

The first arrest dates back to Feb. 4, 2015, when San Francisco police found him in possession of burglar’s tools, concealing stolen property, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Since then, his arrests have been linked to domestic abuse charges, petty theft, violation of parole, and using fake identification.

Lt. Harvey said these cases generally rely on accurate and timely reports made by store victims to catch thieves right away.

Store policy can also affect when and how thefts are reported to the police, which can slow down the process of catching criminals, he said.

Taylor is currently being held in the Orange County Jail without bail. His next court date is Aug. 8 at the North Justice Center in Fullerton, according to the jail’s website.