Three people have been charged with multiple felonies related to the ransacking of a Nordstrom department store in Walnut Creek last weekend, Contra Costa County prosecutors said Wednesday.
About 90 people in all allegedly stormed the store on Saturday night armed with weapons, making off with more than $100,000 worth of merchandise while about 25 cars with missing or covered license plates were strategically parked in front of the business to block first responders, police and prosecutors said.
The three people arrested and charged so far have been identified as Dana Dawson, 30, Joshua Underwood, 32, and Rodney Robinson, 19, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
The trio is set to be arraigned next Monday afternoon on charges including robbery, burglary, organized retail theft, conspiracy, and receiving stolen property, prosecutors said.
According to a complaint filed by the District Attorney's Office for the charges, Nordstrom employees were pepper-sprayed, kicked, punched and assaulted with a knife during the thefts.
The Nordstrom robbery is one of several recent major thefts around the Bay Area recently, with others occurring in downtown San Francisco, in San Jose and elsewhere. In response, district attorneys in Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, Santa Clara and San Joaquin counties announced this week they are collaborating to share crime data and each office has pledged a prosecutor to participate in the joint effort.
"We are committed to stopping those who participate in organized retail theft, which has adverse and costly impacts on business owners and consumers as well," Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement announcing the charges in the Nordstrom case.
Authorities are still seeking more suspects in Saturday's thefts. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Deng at deng@walnutcreekpd.com.
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