Riverbank Police Services, RPS, deputies have made multiple organized retail thefts arrests in a recent incident taking place at the ULTA department store.

On Monday, May 23, 2023, at 6:03 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a theft at the ULTA store at 2407 Claribel Road in Riverbank.

Clerks estimated the merchandise loss to be at over $5,000. A physical and vehicle description were obtained from staff as they watched several suspects flee the store. The incident was consistent with the same types of take-over, organized retail thefts which have plagued many businesses all over the state lately.

Patrol deputies worked hand-in-hand with loss prevention officers who have taken added steps of reinforcing their store security and improved responses to these thefts.

Deputies soon thereafter located the suspect car traveling west on Kiernan Avenue near the Salida community. They tried to make a traffic enforcement stop; however, the suspects decided to flee and refused to pull over. The suspect car became disabled as it crashed into a curb following a less than one-mile pursuit.

Several women tried running away from the scene, but they were soon captured and safely taken into custody. The stolen merchandise was recovered from within the car as well.

Deputies were able to make a positive identification of all their suspects upon review of store video surveillance. The suspects were identified as Zekoya Jackson, 21; Samia Florence, 22; Kimayah Ratliff, 21; and Ahniyah Shans, 22.

The four were charged with organized retail theft, grand theft, criminal conspiracy and the driver for evasion. Each suspect was medically cleared by healthcare professionals before being booked into the Public Safety Center. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“We give credit and praise to the alert patrol deputies investigating this theft in partnership with store loss prevention,” RPS officials said. “These types of organized theft crimes create a dangerous environment for the consumer shopping community. They cause price increases, too, which impacts the affordability of goods for the rest of us.”

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office and Riverbank Police Services are committed to investigating and apprehending those who steal what doesn’t belong to them.