San Francisco police are intensifying their crackdown on alleged repeat retail thieves accused of repeatedly targeting a high-end REI store and walking out with outdoor gear worth hundreds — and in some cases thousands — of dollars.
Three suspected habitual offenders were arrested after REI partnered with the San Francisco Police Department’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, a unit focused on identifying repeat offenders and coordinating with retailers to build stronger cases.
REI joined the task force’s retail partnership program in May.
After joining, the store began alerting investigators to suspected repeat thieves, giving police the ability to share their information and move quickly when those individuals allegedly returned to the location.
On July 13, employees notified police that Erick Rock, 45, was allegedly inside the REI stealing merchandise.
Officers saw Rock leave the store on a bicycle and recovered nearly $1,200 in merchandise, according to police.
Investigators later linked Rock to 12 other alleged thefts, with total losses exceeding $7,200, authorities said.
Rock was arrested on July 16 and charged with second-degree burglary, two counts of grand theft and 11 counts of shoplifting.
On July 14, REI reported another alleged habitual thief.
Officers arrested 52-year-old Johanna Daniels while Daniels was fleeing on foot and recovered more than $600 in merchandise.
Investigators linked Daniels to 10 additional incidents, bringing total losses to more than $4,700.
Daniels was arrested July 17 on charges including second-degree burglary, grand theft, nine counts of petty theft with priors and shoplifting.
Then, on Aug. 19, REI reported that another suspect who allegedly stole from the store multiple times a week had returned.
Officers arrested 51-year-old Dennis Kelley, who was carrying $310 worth of stolen backpacks.
Investigators connected Kelley to 16 other theft incidents at the same store, with total losses exceeding $8,000.
Kelley was arrested on charges including organized retail theft, grand theft, second-degree burglary and 16 counts of petty theft with priors.
The crackdown comes as California’s Proposition 36 gives police and prosecutors another tool for dealing with repeat theft offenders.
Voters approved the “Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act” in November 2024. The law added Penal Code Section 666.1, which allows theft offenses that would normally be misdemeanors to be prosecuted as felonies when a suspect has two or more prior convictions for qualifying theft-related offenses.
The REI cases are part of a wider SFPD push against alleged retail-crime regulars.
During National Blitz Week from Aug. 1 through 9, the task force conducted operations at Stonestown Galleria and various Whole Foods and Walgreens locations, targeting “boosters” and “fencers.”
The operations resulted in 19 arrests.
