Hercules police arrested two suspects in a multi-million-dollar scam targeting Home Depot stores in which the suspects allegedly stole items from stores and returned them at other stores for cash.
Home Depot believes one of the suspects stole $4.5 million from its stores across the west coast over the past four years, according to the Hercules Police Department.
A Hercules police detective told KTVU (Ch. 2) that officers were informed the suspects, which stole “everything from smoke alarms and dimmer switches,” could be coming to their city. On Friday “an officer was flagged down by Home Depot loss prevention,” the news outlet said. An officer located a suspected vehicle, a 2006 Ford Econoline Van, backed into a parking stall at 1500 Sycamore Ave., across from the Home Depot, police said.
Officers waited for the suspects to return to the van and detained them.
According to KTVU, they were identified as Miguel Angel Alderete, 49, and Antonio Marquez, 56.
About $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Home Depot were found in the van.
Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
