2 women, man, arrested after Rite Aid theft in Chowchilla, police say

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Three people from Merced were arrested following a Rite-Aid theft in Chowchilla, the Chowchilla Police Department said.

Officers say they were advised of a theft from Rite Aid. The suspects were identified as two Black women and a Black man. The women entered the store, filled a shopping cart, and then left the business without paying.

Police say they then loaded the stolen items into a passenger car, which was waiting outside with the man, who was the driver of the vehicle and left.

Investigators say they patrolled the area, searching for the vehicle involved in this incident. They found it and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.

All three subjects in the vehicle matched the description and were contacted and removed from it.

Detectives say video surveillance confirmed that the women stopped were the same ones that were recorded walking out of the business with the stolen items, which were also found inside the vehicle.

Additionally, officers say a replica handgun was found inside the vehicle between the driver seat and the center consul. Methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia were also found. The items stolen were returned to Rite Aid.

During the investigation, detectives say they discovered all three suspects were from the Merced area,

They were identified as 34-year-old Jonhathon Allen, 36-year-old Shantell Thompson, and 18-year-old Anaya Harp.

They were all booked into the Madera County Jail under suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime and grand theft.

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