Oakland woman arrested after CHP finds $450,000 in stolen retail items

OAKLAND -- Investigators tracking a string of retail thefts traced more than $450,000 in stolen goods to a fencing operation in an Oakland residence, the California Highway Patrol said Friday.

Claudia Cruz, 35, of Oakland was accused of organized retail crime, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a crime, the CHP said.

An Organized Retail Crime Task Force made up of investigators assigned to the CHP's Golden Gate Division launched a probe in July into a criminal network involved in a string of retail thefts targeting various retailers throughout the Bay Area, the highway patrol said.

Stolen merchandise, consisting mainly of items found at drug stores, was recovered in the Oakland residence, two vehicles and a storage facility, police said.