‘Prolific retail thief’ charged with stealing more than $40K at Target

SAN FRANCISCO — A woman is accused of stealing more than $40,000 in merchandise during 120 visits to a Target store in San Francisco over a 13-month period, authorities said.

>> Read more trending news

Aziza Graves was charged with eight felony counts of grand theft and 120 misdemeanor counts of petty theft on Wednesday in connection with items taken from the store between October 2020 to November 2021, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Graves was arrested at the store by San Francisco police on Tuesday, the newspaper reported.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott described Graves as “a particularly brazen and prolific retail theft offender.”

According to a statement from District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Graves would allegedly use the store’s self-checkout kiosks to scan merchandise and then pay small amounts, such as $1 in cash, or in some instances, one cent, KNTV reported. After scanning, Graves left without completing the payment, Boudin said.

According to Boudin, Graves stole laundry detergent, among other items, that are frequently stolen and resold for profit, the Chronicle reported. Grand theft refers to “money, labor, or real or personal property taken” with a value exceeding $950, according to the California Legislative Information website.

Target’s Asset Protection Team reached out to the district attorney’s office and asked authorities to investigate Graves, according to the Chronicle.

Target announced in July that it was cutting hours at nearly all of its San Francisco locations due to a sharp rise in retail crime, KTVU reported. Another retailer, Walgreens, has closed five locations in San Francisco in an effort to curb “rampant shoplifting,” the television station reported.

Scott said he hopes the case against Graves “sends a strong message to would-be shoplifters that their lawless conduct won’t be tolerated in San Francisco,” the Chronicle reported.

©2021 Cox Media Group