Organized Retail Theft Suspect Arrested

The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station advises the public to not interfere or attempt to apprehend suspects involved in organized retail crime.

PALM DESERT —At 2:21 a.m. on Oct. 7, deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a grand theft at a retail store in the 73000 block of El Paseo.

Two suspects entered the store, stole several high-value items of merchandise, and ran out of the store within seconds. On Oct. 18, the same suspects entered the same business and stole a significant amount of merchandise prior to fleeing the area.

The Palm Desert Investigations Bureau, with the assistance of the Palm Desert Station-Business District Team, assumed the investigation.

During the course of the retail theft investigation, one of the suspects, 25-year-old Nikolas Mallory of Los Angeles, was identified as also being a suspect in several similar robberies in Los Angeles. Using investigative leads developed by Palm Desert Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Office-Organized Retail Crime Task Force, on Oct. 22, search warrants were served in the 800 block of W. 104th Street, Los Angeles, and Mallory was taken into custody. Evidence implicating Mallory in the thefts on El Paseo was recovered and he was booked into a Los Angeles County jail. The identity of the second suspect is remains unknown at this time; however, the investigation is currently ongoing.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Investigator Pfohlman at 760–836–1600.

The identity of these suspects and organizations is a result of working with many allied agencies across California who are also combating the rise in organized retail crime. These investigations have resulted in numerous arrests by the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station.

The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station would like to remind the public to not interfere or attempt to apprehend suspects involved in organized retail crime. Instead, be a good witness, obtain license plates, directions of travel, or any other identifying suspect information to aid investigators.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has a zero-tolerance policy for these offenses. If you suspect illegal activity in your area, please contact the Coachella Valley Dispatch Center at 760–836–3215 or dial 911 in the event of an emergency.