Photo: Javiera Orly Rojas Alarcon
Ventura County – The arrest 21-year-old Javiera Orly Rojas Alarcon at the Thousand Oaks Trader Joe’s Market highlights the need for constant vigilance even while grocery shopping.
It was in the early evening on June 11th when, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Senior Deputy Timothy Lohman, a shopper “placed her unzipped purse in a shopping cart” while assessing various items of produce on sale.
As she was squeezing tomatoes, a man later described as a 22-28 year-old Hispanic approached and “attempted to engage her in conversation.” At that point, the shopper glanced back at her shopping cart and observed Alarcon holding her wallet.
Obviously no longer interested in tomatoes, the victim wasted no time and grabbed Alarcon by the shirt, yelling to other store patrons to alert them to the crime in progress. Alarcon put up a fight and eventually dropped the wallet and then “broke free” from her victim’s grasp to make her getaway. But before she could make good her escape, Alarcon was detained by store employees while her accomplice fled on foot.
Responding VCSD deputies took Alarcon into custody, whereupon she falsely identified herself. Further identification pointed to her true identity and she was transported to Ventura County Jail, where she remains in custody with her bail set at $500,000.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
